Scarlet Dawn
by Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl
Summary: Shield recruits two new candidates for the Avengers. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff have a mysterious, frightening past, and Wanda has powers that she cannot fully control and doesn't understand, powers that were responsible for the destruction of her village and her people when she was a child. Inspired by rumours of Avengers 2. Rated T for now, rating may rise in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Scarlet Dawn**

_**Chapter One**_

_Disclaimer: All characters and locations in this story belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. The story title is courtesy of Myth Queen, who also gave me the encouragement I needed to publish this._

It was a chilly evening in New York, and rain poured down incessantly. The red-clad figure pulled her coat more tightly around her slender frame, and brushed wet strands of auburn hair back from her forehead. She huddled closer to the small fire she had made, rubbing her bare hands together for warmth, trusting the shadows of the alleyway to conceal her. She glanced around anxiously. It should not have taken him this long to find what he was looking for!

"Where are you?" She murmured, almost inaudibly. She shivered- being left alone always made her remember things she had spent years trying to forget...

_She was trembling in Mama's arms, trying to explain that she was scared of the cursed mountain, scared of the voice that had seemed to call her, that promised her power. People from the village said she had caused all the crops and livestock to die that summer. They claimed that she was a witch, or else a demon. But it wasn't her- the __**thing**_ _in the mountain had told her it would happen and she had tried to warn the farmers, that was all! Mama kept her and her brother in the caravan while Papa went to speak to the torch-bearing angry villagers. Loud shouting was heard, then the smell of burning reached them, and the caravan filled with smoke. Mama quickly lifted her, then her brother, pushing them out of the one small window. They watched in horror as the entire caravan went up in flames with Mama still inside. She screamed._

_The villagers caught hold of her, dragging her away, planning to kill her. Some of them were throwing stones at her. Papa tried to rescue her and she fell. She was scared, and Papa was getting beaten! She couldn't even see her brother any more. A strange reddish-purple light surrounded the mountain in the distance, and her hands glowed the same colour. Suddenly, she felt as if she was watching the scene from a distance, and she couldn't speak or move._

_**"YOU WOULD ENDANGER MY FAVOURED ONE?" **__She felt really frightened now- the words were coming from her mouth, but she wasn't speaking, and the voice wasn't hers!_

_The villagers backed away in a panic, some of them running. The light surrounding her hands blazed, and engulfed everyone nearby. They all began screaming and convulsing in agony, and blood was running from their mouths, ears and eyes. Even Papa was being hurt. She tried as hard as she could to make the red light disappear, but it didn't work- she couldn't even move her hands!_

_As soon as it had started, it stopped. All the villagers fell to the ground, like marionettes with their strings cut. None of them got up or moved. She realised she could move again, and gasped, running to Papa, ignoring the horrible laugh in her mind. She shook him, crying. He was in the same state as the others, and she began to shake. What had she done?_

_Her brother crawled out from the hollow log he'd been hiding in, and walked towards her nervously._

_She tried to step towards him, but suddenly felt so tired... Everything went dark._

She shook her head, blocking out the hideous memory. The next thing she remembered was waking up in her brother's arms as he ran, faster than anything she'd ever seen, certainly faster than anything a normal ten-year-old should be capable of. Everything they ran past was a blur. He had told her that he would always take care of her, whatever happened. She told him, hesitantly, that the voice that had spoken to the villagers sounded like the one that kept calling her to the cursed mountain. Upon hearing that, he had taken her from their homeland, as far from that place as possible.

They had travelled together through Europe for more than ten years, stealing food to keep from starving. But they had been unable to settle anywhere for more than a month or two. She still had recurring nightmares, calling her back to that mountain, and the power she had gained all those years ago was still present, but uncontrollable. She tried her best, but wherever they went, eventually the power flared up, and more often than not, innocent people got hurt. She had told her brother numerous times to leave her, that he'd be happier by himself, but he always refused, unwilling to part from his only remaining family. He always said he didn't care if she was cursed. By this point, she firmly believed she was.

An incredibly strong wind blew into the alleyway, extinguishing the small fire and pausing right next to her. Her brother smiled warmly.

"I found a shelter for homeless people a few streets away. We should be able to stay there for a few days, if you think you're up to it?" He narrowed his eyes, examining her anxiously. He wasn't going to take her anywhere if she thought her powers might cause yet another freak accident.

She took a deep breath. "I _think_ I'll be alright. I'm not in a bad mood or anything," - anger often seemed to fuel her losses of control- "and I really do want to get out of this rain!"

He outstretched his arms, ready to lift her so they could travel at his accustomed speed as they made their way to the shelter- he hated walking at normal speed. She acquiesced silently.

She smirked. "Oh, and by the way, Pietro? They're not referred to as 'streets', they call them 'blocks'. We're in America now, remember?" She laughed at his disgruntled expression as they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything except OCs._

Wanda glanced around the shelter. It was a gloomy, dimly-lit, sparsely furnished building with paint peeling off the walls, but anything was better than being out in the howling wind and icy rain. Pietro had just gone into the tiny kitchen to retrieve some food- or whatever passed as food in this run-down place. The shelter was fuller than Wanda had expected, and she was feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes staring at her.

An overweight but muscular man dressed in tattered jeans and a stained off-white t-shirt made his way over to her, grinning suggestively. His greasy dark hair flopped into his eyes as he sat down beside her. She did her best to ignore him. His eyes roamed over her like she was a piece of meat, and she shivered involuntarily, wishing her brother would hurry up and rejoin her.

"My name's Andy."

She didn't respond.

"Ya look like you've been livin' rough for quite a while, darlin'." He was grinning at her now, exposing stained yellowing teeth. "How'd ya like to have a nice warm bed for a few nights? I'll pay well if you're worth it."

"No, thank you." Wanda said in a tightly controlled voice. Andy's assumption disgusted her- she may have been through some hard times, but she had never once resorted to what this disgusting man was suggesting. She got up, meaning to go and join Pietro in the kitchen.

He followed her, catching hold of her wrist, pulling her to a stop.

"Playin' hard to get, are ya? That's always fun."

"Let go of me!"

Her half-shouted words were drawing attention from the others in the main room of the shelter, but Wanda didn't care. She had only raised her voice in the hope that...

Pietro emerged from the kitchen and ran towards them (at a normal speed, thankfully.) Wanda sighed with relief.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pietro glared at the man who (still) had hold of his sister. "Leave her alone!"

Surprisingly, Andy actually complied. But only so he could shove Pietro back several yards.

"What's this gotta do with you, ya skinny freak?"

"If you bother my sister, you deal with me." Pietro said coolly. "Now are you going to walk away, or should I make you?"

Andy's response was to swing a fist at Pietro's face. He dodged easily, and scoffed at the moron's effort. He dodged several more blows until, because he was not willing to use his extreme speed, Andy managed to land a blow on his face. Blood spurted from Pietro's nose, and he fell backwards, striking his head on the concrete ground. He didn't get back up. Wanda cried out, moving towards him. There were gasps from several onlookers, but none of them actually moved forward to help.

Andy caught Wanda roughly by the upper arm, and pulled her nearer to him, whispering in her ear. "Since your _friend_ made such a nuisance of himself, ya owe me one night for free. Now c'mon, we're goin'."

She struggled against his grip, beginning to panic. That's when she felt it...the familiar sensation of her hands growing warmer.

She redoubled her struggle to get away from Andy, desperate to succeed before the appearance of the scarlet light that preceded her powers' awakening. But it was too late. Her hands were glowing crimson. The weak electric lights began to flicker, cracks appeared in the floor and ceiling, and any object that wasn't nailed down began to shake, then levitated towards Wanda, moving in a continuous miniature tornado that kept the horrified onlookers from coming near her. The more Wanda panicked, the worse the effects became.

"What the...?!" Andy let go of Wanda in shock, before grabbing her by the shoulders. "What sorta freak _are_ ya?"

She shook her head, frantic, trying to push him away, hoping that for once, nothing terrible would happen.

The instant her glowing hands made contact with Andy, he gritted his teeth, and grimaced with pain. He gasped, and the gasp became a scream as the pain intensified.

"What're ya doin'?" He managed to gasp before his eyes rolled back into his head. He collapsed to the floor in an odd way, as if he were made of cloth. She knew he wasn't breathing. She let out an inarticulate cry of pain and frustration, and the poltergeist activity stopped almost at once. Everything - purses, shoes, clothing, phones, keys... crashed noisily to the floor. Wanda wanted to burst into tears. _Why_ did this keep happening? What had she done to deserve this curse?

Breathing shakily, she pushed her way through the gawking crowd of homeless people, some of whom backed away from her in terror, and knelt beside Pietro, who was just coming round. He sat up groggily, then noticed his sister's tear-filled eyes, and the still form on the floor. Guessing what had happened from previous experiences, he stood quickly. Sirens were audible, so evidently someone had called the police. They had to leave. Inability to explain what had happened aside, they were illegal immigrants. He lifted his sister, who was withdrawn and barely responsive, and left the shelter in a whirlwind. Literally. They would have to find somewhere else to stay, and no doubt Wanda would try and persuade him to leave her behind again. That would never happen. Ever.

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A red-headed woman clad in jeans, a white shirt and a leather jacket walked sedately down the street, trying to ignore the grumbled complaints of her short-haired male companion.

"Remind me again how some loser dying in a illegally-run homeless shelter is Shield business?" Clint asked for about the third time.

Natasha sighed. "I told you, witnesses claimed that were some unexplained freak events at the time of death, caused by a young woman that Andrew McAllister was harassing. His cause of death couldn't be determined, and none of the coroners on Shield's payroll have ever seen anything like it. Fury wants the woman and her accomplice found."

"Yeah, I know. I just don't see what good it will do to ask questions at the shelter itself, if the perp's gone."

"Coulson's monitoring every surveillance camera in New York. Once we have a physical description to go on, we can track the murderer and her partner down."

"I hope so. Though that'll be the easy part. If what happened to McAllister is any indication, this woman's dangerous. I don't get how someone's internal organs and entire skeleton could be burned to ash, when there was no external damage. No human could do something like that..."

"The people we're looking for will come peacefully if they know what's good for them. Fury only wants some answers, after all."

Clint snorted. "Come peacefully? Natasha, we're never _that_ lucky." He adjusted the gun hidden inside his denim jacket, making sure it could be drawn easily if necessary, and noticed Natasha doing the same with her many concealed firearms. He smirked, looking forward to this part of the assignment at least, as they made their way into the shelter to start questioning people about the identity of the two fugitives.

_To be continued..._

_**AN: Yes, Coulson is still alive in this story! Andy is an OC.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Marvel, except the various books/films/TV shows referenced by Tony. They belong to their respective creators._

_**Warning: Spoilers for Iron Man 3 in this chapter.**_

Bruce was walking casually through the city, no particular destination in mind. He had come to stay with Tony and Pepper after the whole mess with Killian. Pepper had asked him to try and counsel Tony, as his friend still had trouble dealing with all that had happened. It hadn't worked out well, and Bruce had admitted that he just wasn't therapist material. Thankfully, Pepper was now fully recovered from her Extremis exposure, and she and Tony were closer than ever. He enjoyed staying with them, and was glad to be back in New York, but sometimes, like now, he needed a break from their near-constant bickering. He was heading down a quiet side street lined with small stores, when he heard explosions from a store in the distance. He made his way there quickly, thinking people might be hurt.

A crowd of curious onlookers had already gathered on the sidewalk, and several people wearing the store's uniforms were standing outside looking indignant. Voices could be heard inside. Bruce pushed his way through the crowd with difficulty, noticing with surprise that one of the voices sounded like Natasha's. The Black Widow herself came into view a few minutes later, eying the crowd with annoyance.

"This is US government business. None of you need to be here. I suggest you make yourselves scarce unless you want to risk federal charges. _Leave."_

The onlookers dispersed quickly, and a small smile appeared on Natasha's face. It quickly vanished when her eyes fell on Bruce.

"Banner? What are you doing here?"

"Natasha." Bruce nodded politely in greeting. "What's going on?"

Her expression became guarded. "Shield business. You don't need to get involved."

"I'm here now. I'm involved already. What's this about?"

"Clint and I just apprehended a couple of criminals that Fury wants to question. Everything's under control."

"Hmm." Bruce frowned. He didn't really trust Fury's motives after he had lied to them during the Chitauri incident. He peered past Natasha, into the store to see Clint standing over two unmoving forms on the ground. The store's interior looked like it had survived a tornado, but Bruce's focus was on the unconscious man and woman. He tried to move past Natasha, but she blocked his way.

"You can't go in there, Banner."

"I just want to make sure those two aren't injured. Criminals or not, I'm a doctor, and I have to treat anyone who needs it."

"I can't let you."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You want to tell the other guy that?" He pushed past her. Natasha followed him with a sigh.

The unconscious people were only in their twenties, Bruce guessed. Their clothes- both wore jeans and long sleeved shirts- were worn and quite honestly, filthy. They were both very thin, like they hadn't eaten properly for a while. The man's hair was a startling platinum blonde, and the woman sported long auburn waves.

"Wonder how these two met." Bruce murmured. He glanced up at Clint. "What did you actually do to them? And what have they done to draw Shield's attention in the first place?"

"They've been tranquilised, that's all, not that it's anything to do with you. Fury wants to question them in connection to a-"

"Crime." Natasha interrupted. Clint was always too free with information, and Banner didn't need to know details. This was a clandestine Shield operation, not an Avengers mission, after all.

"And it was necessary for you to knock these two out because..."

Clint shrugged. "They have some sort of weird powers. He's fast, _literally_ blink and you miss him. Took him down first so they couldn't escape, but then she panicked, and everything went nuts. It was like the place was haunted- stuff on the shelves was moving on its own, electricity was shorting out. It stopped as soon as we knocked her out."

Bruce looked intrigued. "That explains the mess in here... who are these two, anyway?"

"We don't know." Clint frowned. "Shield couldn't find any information about them. We don't even have names."

"_Shield_ couldn't find anything?" Bruce was incredulous. "Excuse me if I find that hard to believe."

"It's the truth." Natasha said sharply. "Could just mean that these two weren't registered at birth. A lot of countries abroad don't have records of births."

Bruce nodded, conceding the point. "So what will you do with them now?"

"Keep them here and unconscious until a Shield transport arrives. It should be here in a few hours."

Bruce's eyes gleamed. "Why don't you bring them to Stark Tower in the meantime? It's fully equipped with facilities to keep them secure, and it'd be a lot less conspicuous than staying in public." _'And maybe that way, Tony and I can find out what Fury's actually up to.'_

The assasins exchanged glances, knowing that Bruce had a point.

"I'll clear it with Coulson." Natasha pulled a small black cell phone out of her pocket and walked out of earshot, dialling rapidly.

"You guys didn't wait for me to start the party?" Tony, in full Ironman armour, strode into the store.

Clint rolled his eyes. "What is this, an Avengers reunion?! Should I expect Cap and Thor to turn up next?"

"Nah, they weren't invited. Good to see you by the way, Katniss." Tony examined the still forms on the floor. "Seriously? _These_ are Fury's murder suspects? They look like refugees from Eastern Europe!"

Bruce was startled. "Murder suspects?!"

Natasha had disconnected her phone call, and was glaring at Tony. "Been reading Shield's secure files _again_, Stark?"

"Hey, if Fury doesn't want Shield's computer network hacked, he should have better encryption programs and firewalls." Tony's voice was unrepentant, and Natasha scowled.

"Well, as you're so interested in Shield business, I'm sure you won't mind letting us keep these two at Stark Tower for a few hours while we wait for our transportation."

"What? Why my place? What's wrong with Legolas' apartment?"

"My apartment doesn't have a security system worth several million dollars, or an AI that can keep track of people in the building." Clint smirked. "Besides, Bruce already suggested the tower."

Tony scowled at Bruce, (although no-one could tell since he had his faceplate down.)

"Ok, that's fine, but Banner, your rent just tripled."

Bruce blinked. "I don't pay rent."

"You're about to start!"

Bruce sighed. "Whatever you say." He knew Pepper wouldn't really let Tony charge him rent.

Tony turned back to Clint and Natasha. "Well, since Dr Jekyll already gave you permission, I guess I'm having visitors. Who's carrying the deadweights?"

Clint shook his head, annoyed with Stark's flippant attitude, and hefted the platinum-haired man over his shoulder. Bruce picked up the woman.

Tony eyed her appreciatively. "You sure you want to carry her, Bruce? I am more suited to play knight in shining armour." He indicated his suit.

"I'm fine. You should probably go ahead of us and warn your girlfriend."

"I can do both."

"Ok, to make it clearer, I'm not going to let you cop a feel of someone who's unconscious. It's wrong."

Tony shook his head. "You've spent too much time around Stars and Stripes. His medieval attitude is rubbing off on you."

"Steve's morals are not a bad thing."

"If the display of immaturity is over, can we get moving?" Natasha's voice was irritated. "I for one do not want these two waking up before we can get them secured."

Tony saluted her. "Whatever you say, Agent Scully."

Bruce quickly got between Tony and Natasha. "Tony. Go. Tell Pepper what's going on, and get two secure rooms prepared."

Tony shrugged and flew off. Natasha glared at his disappearing silhouette for a while, then started walking, followed by Tony and Clint with their unconscious burdens. Thankfully, they didn't encounter many passers by as they headed back to Stark Tower.

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Pietro opened his eyes groggily, strugling to remember what had happened. He and Wanda had been in a grocery store, as he had wanted to see if he could find a job there. Two others had come in, a red-haired woman and a brown-haired man. These two strangers had been talking about the death in the shelter, in quiet voices, so only he and Wanda could hear them. Pietro had tensed, preparing himself to grab his sister and run, when he'd noticed that the red-headed woman was armed. He had run at her, using only a fraction of his full speed, intending to take her weapon. Something had struck him in the back of the shoulder, and then everything went fuzzy. He sat up, looking at his surroundings.

The room was brightly lit, with white-tiled walls. There were no windows, so he assumed he was either underground, or deep in the building's interior. The only furniture in the room was the bed he was sitting on, and the plain white door appeared to lock with a keypad, so getting out seemed unlikely. Annoyance rose in him- he _hated_ being confined! Then the full meaning of him being alone in this room sank in. Where was Wanda? He leapt to his feet just as the door opened. A man he didn't recognise came in. Black haired and moustached, older than him, wearing dark jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt with the words 'Black Sabbath' written on it. Pietro eyed him suspiciously.

"Where's my sister?" He demanded.

"Uh, excuse me, you're in my home, so I'll think I'll be asking the questions here, Spike."

Pietro frowned, confused. "My name is Pietro. Why did you call me Spike?"

"You don't get the reference? Your hair...Spike, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? No?" The man shook his head. "Never mind."

Pietro frowned, deciding this man was somewhat strange. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tony Stark." The man smirked, obviously expecting recognition.

Pietro blinked. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Tony's jaw dropped. "You've never heard of me? The world's only genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist? Iron Man?"

Pietro shook his head, baffled.

"What planet are you from?" Tony honestly looked annoyed. "_Everyone's_ heard of me!"

"Well, I'm afraid I haven't. And you still haven't answered my question. Where is my sister? I swear, if you've hurt her in any way..." He took a step towards Tony.

"Whoa, back up there!" Tony raised his hands defensively. "She's still sedated, that's all. She's being kept in a room a few doors down, until my friend and I get some answers about you two."

Pietro's eyes narrowed. "Answers about what?"

"About what really happened to the guy in the homeless shelter. A government agency seems to think your sister is responsible for his death, but my friend Bruce and I aren't entirely sure about their motives. That's why I'm talking to you before their agents get a chance to."

Pietro remained silent for a moment, thinking about Tony's words. He didn't trust this man, but he had no chance of escaping right now...

"I'm not telling you anything until I've seen for myself that my sister's alright." He folded his arms.

"You can't just take my word for it?"

Pietro stepped towards Tony threateningly again.

"Ok, ok! I'll take you to her room." Tony led Pietro down the hall, to an identical room, where Wanda lay on a bed, still unconscious. A tired-looking man with dark, greying hair and glasses sat nearby, his face buried in a book. He looked up when Tony and Pietro came in.

"Hey, Bruce. She stirred yet?"

"No. She hasn't even turned over in her sleep." Bruce glanced at Pietro curiously.

"Oh, this is Pietro. I wanted to call him 'Spike' but apparently he doesn't like that name."

Bruce shook his head. "It's good to meet you, Pietro, and you'll have to forgive Tony. Sometimes I think he has the mental age of a twelve-year-old."

"Hey!"

"Well, that would explain a few things." Pietro smirked as he shook hands with Bruce, before going over to Wanda, making sure she was alright.

Tony and Bruce began speaking in low voices.

"Has he told you anything?"

"Nope. He insisted on seeing her first. Apparently, they're brother and sister."

"Twins, actually, and I haven't gone deaf just because you aren't talking to me." Pietro said loudly. At that moment, Wanda stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. He immediately turned his attention back to her.

"Wanda! Are you alright?"

"Mm...where are we?" She still sounded half-asleep, but her eyes focussed on Tony and Bruce, and she tensed.

"We're safe. These two say they just want to ask some questions. There's nothing to worry about." Pietro assured her, even though he wasn't entirely sure of that himself yet. The last thing they needed in this situation was for Wanda to panic, and cause another disaster. Tony and Bruce were talking again, quieter than before, but he and Wanda could still make out what they were saying.

"_Twins?!_" Tony sounded stunned. "Was family resemblance out of fashion when they were born? They don't even look like they're related!"

"Haven't you ever heard of fraternal twins before?" Bruce laughed. His expresion became more serious quickly. "How long do we have before Clint and Natasha get suspicious?"

"I don't know. They think we're both in the lab, and Pepper's keeping them busy, so we should have a while. I just want to hear their story," Tony indicated the twins, "before we throw them on Shield's mercy."

"I agree, but you know that Natasha and Clint won't be pleased if they figure out what we're doing."

"It's my house. I'll do what I want. And if it turns out that they're _not_ guilty, then I dare Fury to try and arrest them. Honestly, from what I've seen of the coroner's reports, I don't think either of these two could have killed McAllister. No human could do something like that."

Wanda and Pietro exchanged worried glances, and Wanda bit her lip. How could they explain what had really happened? No-one would ever believe them... Now though, it seemed they would have no choice.

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Clint was in the gym, shooting bullseye after bullseye into the target. When they'd first arrived, he and Bruce had carried the fugitives to two of the rooms in the medical area, and Pepper had then led him and Natasha away, with assurances that they would be informed as soon as either of the unconscious pair woke up. Tony and Bruce had gone to the lab, Tony apparently having a burning need to show Bruce some new invention, and Pepper had taken Natasha off for 'girl talk'. With nothing else to do, Clint had come here. After practising archery for over an hour though, he was bored.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Mr Barton?"

"Can you show me the medical rooms where the fugitives are being held? They should be waking up soon."

A holographic image of the two rooms obligingly appeared in front of him. Clint stared in disbelief. One of the rooms was empty, with the door wide open, and both the captives were awake in the other room, deep in conversation with Tony and Bruce!

"Son of a...!"

The bow and arrows were abandoned as Clint ran towards the stairs that led to the medical wing. So much for the promise that he and Natasha would be told if one of the captives woke up! He was going to _kill_ Stark and Banner for this!

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_**Disclaimer; All characters except OCs belong to Marvel**_.

Natasha was making her way to the gym, having decided to join Clint for some sparring. She enjoyed chatting with Pepper, but she was feeling restless, the way she often did while waiting idly for something during a mission. It had been more than an hour and it appeared the fugitives hadn't stirred. Clint came racing down a flight of stairs and ran straight into her. She almost attacked until she realised it was her partner who had barrelled into her.

"Clint? Where are you going?" She frowned- he seemed angry for some reason, and he rarely showed his emotions in the middle of an assignment.

Clint spoke through gritted teeth. "I got bored of hanging about waiting, so I asked Jarvis to check on the prisoners. I figured they must be awake by now. I was right. Stark and Banner are already having a cosy little chat with them."

"_What?! _" The Black Widow's voice was livid.

"My sentiments exactly. I was heading down there to tell them to cut it out..."

Natasha unholstered one of her guns. "Lead on." Ice in midwinter was warmer than her voice now- Stark had gone too far. Interrogating prisoners that were in Shield's custody was in no way civilian business, no matter how rich and intelligent said civilian was. She followed Clint down to the medical facility.

Tony and Bruce had been questioing the twins for a few minutes now, but Pietro only answered their questions with evasions, and Wanda hadn't spoken at all, though Bruce privately thought that was because her brother wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. It was almost as if he were afraid to let her speak...

Tony sighed in exasperation, frowning at Pietro. "Look, Speedy, if you refuse to tell us anything, then there is no way we can help get Shield off your backs, do you get that?"

"We did not ask for, and do not _need_ your help!" Pietro practically snarled.

"Oh, right, because you were _obviously _doing so well on your own. If it hadn't been for Bruce, you two would be in a Shield holding cell right now." Tony smirked, and Pietro almost lunged at him- he hated admitting that this smug know-it-all had a point.

Wanda, who had been watching Bruce intently for the last few minutes, stood up slowly and took a deep breath. She turned her gaze to Tony.

"_If_ I tell you our story, can you guarantee that this 'Shield' will leave us alone?"

Pietro shook his head vehemently at her, but she pretended she hadn't noticed.

Tony looked sheepish. "Well, I can't exactly _promise_ that Shield will back off, I don't control them, but this is my home, and none of their agents are going to get in here and threaten you if I have anything to say about it."

Natasha and Clint came storming into the room.

Tony facepalmed. "Seriously, could you two possibly have _worse_ timing?!"

Natasha ignored him. "What do you two think you're playing at, interfering in Shield business?" Her voice was sharp as a razor as she glared from Tony to Bruce.

Pietro immediately moved so he was standing between his sister and the newcomers. Clint took a step towards them, preparing himself to restrain them if they tried to run. Pietro's fists clenched, but the two men were distracted when Tony and Natasha began arguing.

Tony had raised his hands defensively. "Bruce and I just wanted to hear their version of events before deciding whether or not to hand them over to Shield."

"_Deciding_ whether or not- Stark, that is not your decision to make!" Natasha was getting increasingly frustrated with Tony's attitude.

"Maybe it isn't, but I'm not going to stand about idly while Shield may be falsely accusing innocent people of murder!"

"Stark, there are _eyewitnesses_ that claim she," Natasha gestured at Wanda, "killed someone!" Wanda flinched at her words and loked at the ground, not meeting the redhead's gaze.

"And of course there are never extenuating circumstances in a situation like that!" Tony retorted. "Besides, you and Legolas are hardly the ones to suddenly grow a conscience and think that killing people is wrong!"

Clint and Natasha both took threatening steps towards Tony, so Bruce- who had been watching this like it was a tennis match- quickly moved in front of Tony.

"Alright, everyone, let's just calm down! I don't think any of you want the other guy to get involved here." His skin was beginning to tinge green, so he paused for a minute to calm himself. He looked at Clint and Natasha, letting his irritation show on his face.

"Wanda here was actually about to tell her story when you two burst in. Can you at least agree to hear her out before making any judgements about her?"

The two assasins exchanged glances. Clint nodded in Natasha's direction, leaving it up to her.

She sighed. "We'll listen...but that doesn't guarantee anything will change. Coulson and Fury will still want answers."

Bruce nodded, accepting that, and everyone's gaze turned to Wanda, who met Bruce's eyes for a few minutes before nodding reluctantly. Natasha, unseen by the others, subtly pressed a few buttons on her cellphone, allowing Coulson to listen in.

Wanda took a deep breath, and - ignoring Pietro's munitious glare- began to talk.

"My name is Wanda Maximoff. My twin here is Pietro. We were born in Eastern Europe, in a country called Transia. Our parents were Roma- gypsies."

"Were?" Bruce's voice was gentle.

She swallowed hard, blinking back tears before continuing. "When we were ten...I found out that I had a strange ability. When I become angry or scared, things happen that can't be explained. People get hurt. I can't control it." She paused, deep in thought.

"Our parents and a large number of townspeople died not long after I found this out." She hoped no-one would realise that she was editing this story- the whole truth was too frightening, and too unbelievable.

"My brother soon found out that he was gifted too- able to move at speeds faster than anyone else. We travelled on our own for years, stealing food if we could not buy it somehow. My abilities are still unpredictable, so we've never been able to stay in one place for very long. We've only recently come to America."

"So you cause accidents without meaning to whenever you feel threatened?" Clint's gaze was softer now. He remembered all too well how it felt to not be in control of yourself. He still had nightmares of Loki and that damn sceptre... Bruce was empathising, too, remembering all the trouble he'd originally had with the other guy.

Wanda nodded, her eyes glistening. "I've never worked out how to stop it."

"As touching as this story is, can we get back to the murder issue?" Natasha's voice was cutting. Her eyes met Wanda's. "Did these powers of yours cause Andrew McAllister's death?"

Wanda nodded miserably. "He was trying to make me go with him and...well, he assumed I was a prostitute, so you can imagine. He had hit Pietro, and he was unconscious. Andy was dragging me away, and I panicked. I knew what was happening when my powers flared up, and tried to get away, but he wouldn't let go. I couldn't stop it. I never can." The last sentence was barely audible, and a single tear trickled down her face.

Natasha nodded, accepting that. Andrew McAllister's history showed that behaviour like that was his usual M.O. and honestly? No-one would miss the man.

Bruce was eying both twins curiously. "It's strange that both of you have powers you can't explain..." He mused. "I wonder if it's genetic, you being twins and all..."

Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances. Pietro's ability might be a genetic inheritance, but they both knew Wanda's wasn't. However, there was no way any of these people would believe the story of the entity within Wundagore Mountain that haunted Wanda's dreams.

Tony meanwhile, had heard enough. He raised an eyebrow at Natasha. "Stil think she's a cold-blooded murderer?"

"No." The voice was Coulson's, originating from Natasha's phone. Everyone jumped at the unexpected voice. The lights above them flickered. Wanda bit her lip, and looked at the floor, knowing that, yet again, this was her doing.

Tony shook his head in disbelief, scowling at Natasha. "Is there no such thing as a private conversation anymore?"

"Shut up, Stark." Natasha pulled her phone from her pocket into her hand. "Coulson?"

"Director Fury and I both heard the story. For now, we agree that no harm was intended, so the matter is being dropped. That said, Shield can't allow two... enhanced humans to just vanish. They'll be staying at Stark Tower indefinitely. Natasha and Clint will check on them periodically."

"Whoa, wait, back up a second. Don't I get a say in who lives in my own home?"

"Mr Stark, you have already intefered with a Shield operation, and hacked into our secure files yet again. Consider this your community service. Unless you'd rather be arrested?" Coulson's voice actually sounded amused.

Tony threw his hands up in exasperation. "Alright, fine. They're probably safer here than with Shield anyway."

Pietro frowned. "Excuse me? Don't we have a choice in this matter?"

"Yes, Mr Maximoff, you have a choice." Coulson now sounded condescending. "You and your sister can stay at Stark Tower as free citizens, or you can go on the run again as fugitives. It's entirely up to you."

Pietro fumed silently. Wanda, on the other hand, was relieved to finally have a home, at least for the time being.

"If there are no further objections?" Coulson waited for an answer. "Good. Barton, Romanoff, I need you two back at base, so I can debrief you. Have a pleasant day, everyone." Coulson disconnected the call, leaving the room in silence.

**~ Aboard the Shield Helicarrier ~**

"Did they agree to stay at the tower?"

"Yes, Director. Mr Maximoff didn't seem too happy about it, though."

"And his sister?"

"She didn't say much after telling her story. Director..." Coulson trailed off.

"What?"

"Are we sure this is a good idea? If her abilities are as dangerous as she claimed..."

"If Banner can learn to control the Hulk, I'm sure he can teach her to control whatever it is she does."

"Yes sir. If Stark or Rogers find out that we _wanted_ them to recruit these two, though..."

"They won't. I guarantee Stark will invite them to join the Avengers, thinking it's some brilliant act of defiance against Shield. We have nothing to worry about. Speaking of Rogers, is he back from England yet?"

"Our surveillance showed him getting on a plane at Gatwick last night. He should be back in America tonight." Coulson paused. "It must be rough on him...visiting the woman he used to date, when she's an old woman and he hasn't aged..."

"Have someone shadow Rogers once he lands, until he's back in Stark Tower, as a precaution."

"Yes, Director." Coulson walked away, leaving Fury alone on the bridge.

Fury sighed. "And so begins the Avengers Initiative: Phase Two."

**~ Stark Tower, later that night ~**

After a very tiring day, in which she and Pietro had been given their own rooms, had a tour of Stark Tower, been taken shopping by Pepper Potts, (Pietro had complained about accepting charity the entire time) and had dinner with their new housemates, (Wanda still found it unnerving to hear Jarvis speaking to her) they had been allowed to go to sleep. Naturally, Wanda had to have another nightmare.

_She was standing in Wundagore Valley, the mountain looming ominously behind her. The moon shone overhead. She glanced around, uneasy. She didn't want to be here! She began walking quickly to get away from this horrible place. Yet someohow, instead of leaving the valley completely, her feet were carrying her towards Wundagore Mountain._

_"No!" She protested, irrationally scared, but she couldn't change her course. She ended up in the pitch-black caves that riddled the mountainside. Gradually, the reddish glow that she hated filled the cavern. She looked down..._

_The bodies of her parents and the townspeople carpeted the floor, but something had changed. There were more bodies than she usually saw in these dreams. Pietro lay among them, deathly white and unmoving. Recoiling with horror, she stumbled over another corpse, this one Tony's. Glancing around wildly, she recognised Clint, Natasha and Bruce. All dead._

_She screamed._

_An enormous shadow filled the cave, getting closer and closer to her. She backed away, terrified. The grasping fingers of the shadow seemed to be searching for her, and she was trembling uncontrollably._

_"__**Soon, I will claim you." **__A hideous voice rumbled. __**"And this world will be mine once again." **__The voice was emenating from the formless shadow, and Wanda wanted to run, but was paralysed with fear._

_"I am not yours!" She screamed defiantly at the thing. Feeling returned to her limbs, and she ran, stumbling as she went, but too afraid to stop. The being's mocking laughter echoed behind her._

**_"Soon..." _**_It was a threat. Wanda scrambled down the mountainside, not stopping til she was miles from the cursed mountain. She ran headlong into another figure that appered out of nowhere, and screamed in disbelief when she got a clear look at the person._

_It looked like her, but her doppelganger's skin was white as marble. Her lips were bloodless, and her red clothing seemed almost black in the darkness. Her eyes were utterly white, yet gave off a red glow, as if someone was shining a red torch behind white paper._

_The doppelganger's mouth opened. __**"Soon..." **__It was the creature's voice!_

Wanda sat bolt upright, clapping her hands over her mouth to stifle her scream. She was covered in perspiration, and shaking. It took her several minutes to remember where she was.

"That wasn't real." She muttered to herself. "It was just a dream." Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 2.37am. Knowing she'd never dare go back to sleep now, she got up and pulled her newly-bought red silk dressing gown around herself. She decided to head to the kitchen and make some tea. Maybe that would help her to relax.

Jarvis helpfully told her where to find teabags and milk. She imagined that was one of the benefits of having an AI run the house- he never needed sleep. She stifled a yawn as she sipped her drink.

"Who are you?" An unfamiliar male voice came from right behind her.

Wanda whirled around, startled. A muscular man with short blond hair and blue eyes stood there, holding a battered suitcase.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just didn't realise Tony had guests."

Wanda nodded mutely, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat. She had no idea who this was, and Tony hadn't mentioned anyone else living here besides himself, Bruce and Pepper.

The man stepped closer, and Wanda tensed. "Why are you up so late?" He sounded honestly curious. "I just got back from the airport, and I thought everyone would be sound asleep."

"Who are you?" It came out more harshly than Wanda had intended, but she knew it was a fair question.

"Oh, sorry! I'm Steve Rogers. I live here sometimes." He extended his hand, then lowered it, clearing his throat awkwardly. "And you are...?" He stepped closer to her again, and she backed up involuntarily. She had always been wary of strangers, and the incident with Andy hadn't helped.

It wasn't til Steve glanced at her hands in amazement that she realised they were glowing again.

_'Oh, no...' _She closed her eyes, concentrating hard and willing the glow to disappear. Steve put his hand on her shoulder, probably trying to find out what was going on, but the contact startled her. Her eyes flew open and she lost her concentration. A pulse of red energy flared out towards Steve, and he flew backwards into the refrigerator. There was a resounding thud, and Steve crumpled to the floor, motionless.

Wanda's face went completely ashen, and she just sank to her knees. She hardly heard Jarvis speaking. One night, and she had already ruined her chance at a home. What was _wrong_ with her, that she kept hurting people, even though she never meant to? What had she done to Steve? Tony would never let her stay here now... Maybe being imprisoned by Shield was the best thing for her. At least then she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. Footsteps could be heard just outside the kitchen. Wanda didn't care who it was. She couldn't find the will to move. She deserved whatever happened now...

_**To be continued...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Marvel.**_

Bruce rubbed his eyes in an attempt to feel more awake as he stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen. Jarvis had just woken him up, but would say nothing more than he was needed downstairs. Bruce assumed that meant someone needed medical attention, otherwise Jarvis would have woken Tony. He walked into the kitchen, to see Wanda kneeling on the floor, tears running down her face, looking at the floor, while Steve- _when did he get back?_ -lay unconscious a few metres away.

"What happened?"

Wanda didn't even look up, much less answer Bruce's question, so he quickly made his way over to Steve. The super-soldier was breathing steadily, and his only sign of injury was a rapidly-forming swelling on the back of his head. Bruce was fairly certain he had a concussion, but was otherwise fine. He sighed in relief, before returning his attention to Wanda. He spoke softly, acting on a sudden hunch.

"Did your powers do this somehow?"

She nodded, climbing to her feet, but not taking her eyes from the tiled floor. "Steve took me by surprise. I panicked. I didn't mean to do this, I swear." Her voice was heartbreakingly sad.

Bruce looked at her sympathetically. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, no-one will blame you. Steve will be fine. He's not seriously injured, and he's certainly had worse injuries than this." He tried to smile reassuringly, but as Wanda still wouldn't look at him, the gesture was futile. Bruce sighed. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, Dr Banner?"

"Can you wake Tony, please? I need to get Steve to the medical wing, but I can't carry him on my own."

"At once, sir."

A few minutes later, Tony- looking half asleep- walked unsteadily into the kitchen.

"Why'd you have Jarvis wake me up?" He slurred. "I quite enjoy sleeping, you know!"

Bruce quickly explained what had happened, making it sound as normal as possible. He wanted Wanda to understand that it really wasn't her fault.

"So I need you to help me get Steve to the medical wing." He concluded, looking at Tony. "He may well have a concussion, and I want to keep an eye on him tonight."

"Couldn't the other guy have carried him?"

Bruce glared at him pointedly.

"Alright, alright! I'll help." Tony and Bruce lifted Steve carefully between them, and they slowly made their way to the medical bay, Tony complaining about Steve's weight the entire way. Wanda trailed along behind them silently, carrying Steve's suitcase. She'd picked it up as they left the kitchen, thinking that Steve might want to know where it was when he woke up. She couldn't believe Bruce's words, about no-one blaming her, she was sure that Steve at least would hate her now, that was if Tony even wanted her to stay after what she'd just done.

After Tony and Bruce had laid Steve carefully on the nearest bed, and Bruce had confirmed that it was merely a concussion, Wanda turned to face Tony, bracing herself.

"I'm sorry this happened."

Tony waved a hand dismissively. "No worries, accidents happen. There've been plenty of times when I've wanted to knock Steve out. He can be really annoying sometimes."

Bruce shook his head exasperatedly at Tony. Wanda blinked, confused. They really didn't mind? No-one except her brother had ever understood that she wasn't to blame for the freak accidents that happened to people around her.

Bruce met her gaze. "I know some meditating techniques that might help you get those abilities under control. You just have to learn to distance your emotions from your powers."

Wanda didn't answer at first. Was it possible? Could she learn to control this?

Bruce had a fairly good idea what she was thinking. "I know it seems hard, but it can be done. We can make a start whenever you want."

"How do you know so much about this sort of thing?" Her eyes were curious.

Bruce told her about the Hulk, and how he had finally learned to control his transformations. Wanda felt a growing sense of kinship with Bruce- she had never imagined that there was someone else in the world who could understand how it felt to lose control of your own body. Not that she could tell him that part of her story... besides, that had only happened once, back when she was ten.

Steve shifted his weight, groaning softly as his eyes fluttered. Bruce made his way over to him.

"Steve, can you hear me?"

"Ugh...yes. What happened?"

"You tell me." Bruce knew that was a good way of assessing possible damage, testing the patient's memory.

"I just got home... I met Tony's new guest in the kitchen...she seemed to panic, everything started moving, like the place was haunted...It was stopping, I put my hand on her shoulder, and this red light blasted me backwards...That's all I remember. Even though I'm pretty sure I must've hallucinated some of that..."

Bruce laughed softly. "No, it all happened. Though I can see why you think you imagined it."

"What? She really did all that? How..." Steve trailed off. He'd seen some very strange things since he'd woken up in the 21st century, Norse Gods, armies of aliens... but a human with the power to do something like that? How could that be real?

"Wanda here and her brother Pietro moved in yesterday. They both have weird powers that no-one understands, and Wanda can't totally control hers, hence your accident. They're both going to join the Avengers!" Tony announced proudly.

Wanda and Steve looked at Tony in shock. Bruce was glaring at him, furious.

"What?"

"Tony, do the words 'subtlety' and 'tact' mean nothing to you?" Bruce asked through gritted teeth.

Steve was trying to make sense of what Tony had just said. "Fury wants us to add more members to the team?"

"No, _I_ want us to add more members to the team. And as the team lives in my tower, I get to decide. I don't care what Fury thinks."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "And you made this decision when?"

"About two minutes ago, why?"

"I-I don't think me joining your team is such a good idea." Wanda's voice was hesitant. She glanced guiltily at Steve. "People get hurt too often around me."

Steve met her gaze resolutely. "What happened earlier was my fault more than yours. I didn't know what was going on, but I shouldn't have interfered. Don't blame yourself." His voice was completely earnest.

Wanda was taken aback. He thought it was _his_ fault that she'd lost control? That made no sense whatsoever... but Steve's gaze was steady, and he clearly meant his words...

"Alright," Bruce glanced at Wanda and Steve, breaking the moment. "Steve, I'd prefer it if you spent the rest of the night here for observation." He glanced at Wanda quickly, then turned to Tony. "You two should probably go back to bed. There'll be plenty of time to discuss the question of Wanda and Pietro joining the Avengers in the morning."

Wanda followed Tony out of the medical wing, and apologised again for being the cause of disturbance before returning to bed. Tony had assured her it didn't matter. She lay awake for the remainder of the night however, afraid to go back to sleep in case she had more of those disturbing dreams.

**~ The next morning ~**

Pepper was piling food on a plate for Steve when Pietro walked in. Tony had told her of last night's adventure, and she had insisted on making Steve breakfast as soon as Bruce confirmed that he was well enough to leave the medical room.

"Though I'd advise you to take it easy for the next few days, Steve. The concussion was pretty bad." Bruce warned. Once Steve had agreed, Bruce had sat down and engrossed himself in a newspaper, though why there was a newspaper in the tower at all surprised everyone- Tony Stark did not read papers!

Pietro had frozen in the doorway upon seeing Steve. Pepper belatedly realised that he would have no idea who Steve was, and quickly introduced them.

"Oh! Uh, Pietro, this is Steve Rogers. He lives here as well, I don't know if anyone told you that? Steve, this is Pietro Maximoff, Wanda's brother."

Steve smiled warmly, standing and ofering his hand to the newcomer. Pietro shook it warily.

"You've already met my sister?" His eyes narrowed.

"Yes, I've been away visiting friends. I got back late last night, and met her when she came down for a drink." Steve decided not to mention the exact details- Pietro didn't seem, at first glance, to be a very forgiving person. Besides, he wanted to start over with Wanda, if possible. He hated thinking that he'd frightened her the previous night, when she seemed like such a shy young woman.

"Right." Pietro glanced at Pepper and Bruce, both of whom quickly looked away from his icy blue eyes. He knew they weren't telling him everything, but decided to let it go for now. He would ask Wanda for the whole story later.

Wanda herself came down at that moment, looking exhausted- there were dark rings under her eyes. Steve, realising that all the chairs in the kitchen were occupied, stood up to allow Wanda to sit down. She thanked him shyly with a smile. He grinned back, absently noting how pretty her smile was- it suited her.

Pietro had watched this interaction, and scowled. Everyone jumped when Jarvis spoke, breaking the silence.

"Dr Banner, Master Stark has requested your presence in the lab."

Bruce sighed, putting the newspaper down. "Duty calls... Pepper, has Tony even had breakfast this morning?"

"No, I don't think so...he had about four coffees, but no food."

"I can take something down to him, if you want?"

"Thanks." Pepper smiled gratefully, glad that someone besides her would help convince Tony that work was not more important than eating.

Bruce took the proffered plate, turning back before actually leaving the kitchen. "Wanda, if you're not busy tomorrow, maybe we can get started on the meditation idea? I think the sooner we start teaching you control, the better."

Wanda nodded emphatically- _that_ she agreed with. Bruce smiled.

"See you all later." He headed towards the lab.

Pietro was growing increasingly suspicious. When had Wanda met Steve, and at what point had she agreed to learn meditation from Bruce? Why was she suddenly so familiar with these people?

When Steve moved to pour himself another cup of coffee, Pietro moved to Wanda's side, quickly demanding an explanation, speaking in Romanian. She gave him a brief version of what had happened in the night: her nightmare, going downstairs, Steve startling her, and Bruce and Tony finding them. She too was speaking in Romanian, although she felt self-conscious because Pepper and Steve were giving them confused looks.

"But I really think we can trust them, Pietro. I want this to work out, I'm tired of running. Please give it a chance?"

"Alright," Pietro conceded, switching back to English. "I suppose you have a point."

"Thank you." Wanda then turned to Steve and Pepper. "Sorry about that, we tend to slip back into our native language without noticing, it's just a habit."

"You're not American?" Steve sounded genuinely interested.

"No, we were born in Eastern Europe. Transia, have you ever heard of it?"

Both Steve and Pepper shook their heads.

"Transia is a relatively small country in Romania, near the Balkan mountains. Its population is for the most part made up of gypsies and farmers."

"Thanks, Jarvis."

Wanda laughed nervously. "How do you ever get used to that?"

"It takes a while." Pepper reassured her. "Steve actually went looking for an intruder the first time Jarvis took him by surprise."

"Pepper! I thought you promised you wouldn't repeat that." Steve went bright red. Pietro began laughing at him. Wanda glared at her brother.

"That's understandable, it does sound very lifelike. I would have thought it was a real person the first time I heard it."

"Jarvis is a he." Pepper clarified.

"Oh. Sorry, Jarvis...?" Wanda felt ridiculous, apologising to an AI.

"It is quite alright, Miss Maximoff. Master Stark once mistook me for a ghost, while he was intoxicated."

Wanda, Pepper and Steve all managed to laugh at that. Pietro rolled his eyes.

Tony and Bruce came back into the kitchen at that moment, Tony grinning slyly, Bruce looking resigned.

"What's going on?" Pepper's voice was wary- she knew that expression of Tony's too well.

"We were just keeping an eye on Shield's outer-space monitors-"

"Uh, no, not 'we', Tony, it was all you." Bruce interrupted.

"And we picked up an energy signature the same as the one the Chitauri used, when they were in New York." Tony continued, completely disregarding Bruce's words.

"And how exactly is more of those things good news?" Steve frowned.

"Well, there's only a few of them, they seem to be scouting, as if they're looking for someone. I figured we could suit up and deal with them. Anyone game?"

"And he conveniently forgets to mention that Nick Fury himself told us to leave it alone." Bruce shook his head.

"That's why I want to go! Deliberately annoying Patch is so much fun."

"It's a bad idea, Stark. Disobeying orders never ends well."

"Fine, Mr USA, you stay here if you want. I'm going to go and deal with these stray Chitauri. If those things are planning a comeback, we need to know. Anyone else want to come?"

Bruce groaned. "There's no talking you out of this, is there? I suppose I'll have to come along. Maybe with the Hulk there, you'll actually make it home alive."

"May I come along too?" Pietro asked.

Everyone stared at him.

"You want to go and get into a fight with a murderous group of extraterrestrials, against Shield's orders, when you're already on their threat watch?" Tony was incredulous.

Pietro shrugged. "Might as well, I have nothing better to do, and I'm bored. Besides, like you said, we should be prepared if these...chitauri plan to invade earth."

"Fair enough. Anybody else?" No-one moved. "Fine, let's go!" Pepper glared at Tony halfheartedly, knowing that she couldn't dissuade him now. Steve was just shaking his head.

"I guess I'll have to tag along..." He stood up. Bruce stepped into his path.

"No, you don't. You received a severe head injury last night. You're in no shape to go into a fight. Sit down."

Steve acquiesced with a sigh- he _did_ still have a headache.

Wanda looked at Pietro worriedly. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Wanda, I'll be fine. I'm just curious about whether this 'team' is as good as Tony claims!" He smirked arrogantly. "I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

She nodded doubtfully as he raced off to join Tony and Bruce in the hangar. The newly-built Quinjet took off soon after. Pepper, Steve and Wanda were left alone, each trying not to worry. Pepper occupied herself with paperwrk from Stark Industries that she'd been meaning to get done for days, Steve kept himself busy by working out in the gym, and Wanda eventually settled in the library, reading copies of stories she had heard of during her years of living like a nomad.

**~ The Himalayan Mountains, hundreds of miles from any inhabited area ~**

The battle was not going well. There were about thirty Chitauri remaining, and only about seven Shield operatives were still able to fight. The rest were unconscious or worse. Their weapons barely affected the aliens, and they were running out of ammunition. The battlefield wasn't the most ideal location, either, as they were fighting on a narrow plateau that overlooked a mist-shrouded valley, hundreds of metres below them. A fall would be suicide. The Chitauri closed in on the desperate group of humans, confident in their victory. The Quinjet came into view overhead, and Iron Man flew straight into action. His repulsor blasts took down two of the Chitauri straight away. The rest of the aliens focused on him immediately, and he was soon dodging energy blasts from their rifles while trying to draw them away from the Shield agents. The Quinjet landed, and the Hulk leapt into the fight, crushing two of the Chitauri beneath him as he landed, then punching every one of them he could reach, roaring in anger. Pietro ran towards the defeated Shield agents in a blur, bearing them all out of harm's way as fast as possible.

When that was done, he turned to see how his teammates were faring. The Hulk was fine- he could just throw off any Chitauri that attacked him physically, and their weapon's blasts didn't seem to bother him. Stark however... He was fending off the three Chitauri in front of him easily enough, but seemed to be totally unaware of the larger one coming up behind him, poised to strike with a very sharp-looking blade. Pietro had no idea if it would pierce Stark's armour, but he decided not to take the chance. He rushed the alien, leaping onto its back, twisting the blade in its hands and attempting to throttle it. The alien staggered towards the edge of the plateau, no doubt planning to throw his assailant off, but a loose bit of rock crumbled under their combined weight, and they both plummeted down into the misty depths...

Tony's repulsor fried the last Chitauri that was standing, and he turned cautiously towards the Hulk.

"Bruce...?" He knew better than to go too close.

The Hulk snorted, and turned back into Bruce in a matter of seconds.

"You're getting really good at that." Tony commented.

Bruce shrugged. "It comes with practice, I guess." Pulling his tattered clothes more tightly around himself, he glanced around, frowning. "Tony...where's Pietro?"

"What do you mean, last time I saw him he was over there with the the Shield agents..." Tony trailed off uncertainly as he looked at aforementioned Shield agents. They were moving the wounded into their helicopter, and Pietro Maximoff was definitely not among them.

Tony and Bruce exchanged alarmed glances. Without further debate, Tony took off into the air again, doing wide sweeps of the entire valley.

"Jarvis, do a scan for lifesigns. Pietro's down there somewhere, and he could be hurt!"

"Scan in progress, sir. I..." Jarvis' voice was cut off.

"Jarvis...?" _Not now!_ Tony thought desperately.

"I have scanned the entire valley, sir. There is no sign of life within."

"That was fast, even for you... wait, no sign of life?!" Tony's heart sank. "Is...Pietro's body down there?" He was really hoping this was a bad dream...he couldn't lose a team member on his first mission with them!

"There is nothing within the valley but rocks and earth, sir."

"_What?_ That's ridiculous, Pietro couldn't have vanished into thin air!" He decided Jarvis must be mistaken, and flew round the valley several more times, hoping to catch a glimpse of _something_, anything that could pinpoint Pietro's whereabouts. It was no good however. Nothing was visible through the dense white mist. After about an hour, he gave up, and returned to Bruce, who was still waiting for him beside the Quinjet. His friend peered at him anxiously.

"What's going on?"

"I couldn't find anything, Bruce. There's no sign of him."

"Wha- how can there be nothing?! Has Jarvis-"

"He says there's no sign of living creatures in the valley, and apparently no...no body either. I guess...that's it. There's not much else we can do here."

"But it doesn't make sense... unless there's another portal in the valley..." Bruce shuddered at the thought of a human being carried to the Chitauri homeworld. If that had happened, Pietro might well already be beyond rescue...

Tony didn't respond. Both of them walked into the Quinjet slowly, taking an unnecessarily long time to start up the controls. Neither of them would say it, but they were both hoping for some sort of miracle. No miracle happened however, and eventually they took off, both dreading the prosect of breaking the news of Pietro's loss to Wanda...

**~ Elsewhere ~**

He opened his eyes slowly, grimacing at the pain he felt radiating through his entire body. He looked around, unsure where he was. The room was fairly large, and tiled with a strange dark metal. Did he know this place? He didn't think so...but after thinking about it for a few minutes, he realised he remembered nothing. He had no idea where he was, or how he'd gotten here. He didn't even know _who_ he was! A noise at the other side of the room caught his attention, and he saw a young blonde woman peering at him, a nervous but excited expression on her face, as if she knew she was doing something she shouldn't, and was enjoying the thrill of it. She jumped when he met her eyes.

"You can come in, you know." His voice sounded hoarse, and he really wanted some water, but he didn't ask. He had no idea if this woman was a friend of his, or a relative, or a complete stranger. Best not to ask for favours.

The young woman slowly stepped in to the room, her gaze curious and cautious, like he was a wild animal.

_'Am I?' _he thought groggily.

"I didn't realise you were awake." Her voice was quiet, perhaps she didn't want to be overheard? He considered that briefly.

He decided to start with a reasonable question, since he must have been unconscious when he was brought here:

"Where am I?"

"This is Atil- my home." She corrected herself almost immediately.

That didn't really tell him anything...

"Do we know each other?"

"No, I've never met a human before." She blushed slightly. "That's really why I came in here, I was curious."

Right. So apparently, this girl wasn't human. She looked human, but he took her word for it.

"How did I get here?"

"You were found unconscious just outside the city. We brought you here to be healed. You'll be questioned now you're awake. My famil- I mean, our rulers want to know what you were doing so close to our borders."

Ah, so she was some form of royalty among her own people. Did she even realise how much information she was giving away?, he wondered.

"Well, I'm afraid I won't be able to tell anyone very much," he admitted. "I don't remember anything before waking up here."

The young woman's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes shocked. "You don't remember your family, or where you come from?"

He shook his head. She looked truly troubled for him. "Do you even know your name?"

"I'm not sure...the name 'Pietro' sounds familiar, but I don't know if it's mine or not."

"That's so sad...I suppose we'll have to call you Pietro until your memory returns." She smiled brightly, and he couldn't help returning the gesture. "It's an unusual name though."

"What's yours?"

"Oh, how silly of me!" She knew she probably shouldn't tell him anything else, but she wasn't afraid of him any more, human or not. In fact, she felt sorry for him, losing all his memories like this...

"My name is-"

"CRYSTAL!" A male voice shouted from the doorway. Both the occupants of the room jumped, and Crystal went pale.

"Cousin Gorgon..."

The man in the doorway was a huge, imposing figure, Pietro noted. Tall, very muscular, with long dark hair. Bare-chested, and...did he have _bull's legs_? Well, that certainly explained why Crystal had said her people weren't human, if she was related to this man...

"What are you doing in here?!" Gorgon demanded, sounding furious.

"I-I was just..."

"Just doing exactly what you were told not to! Leave, _now_!"

Crystal practically ran out of the room, leaving Pietro alone with the angry Gorgon, who was presently glaring at him murderously.

"If you've done anything to harm my cousin, human..." The threat was obvious. Pietro gulped.

"Why would I hurt anyone here? I don't even know what's going on!"

"Explain what you were doing so close to our home."

"I can't. I know you probably won't believe this, but the only thing I remember from my past is my name. I can't recall anything else except waking up here."

Gorgon folded his arms. "That sounds like a very impressive ruse to escape punishment..."

He stared at Pietro for a long minute, as if waiting for him to admit to lying. Pietro held his gaze steadily.

"Fine. I accept that you're being honest. I will tell my king what I have learned from you, and then your fate will be decided." Gorgon began to walk away. He glanced back. "You are effectively under arrest, and are not to leave this room. And be warned, human; should you try to escape, you will be executed without mercy. Humans are not permitted to enter Attilan and leave." He stode away, leaving Pietro alone. The doors closed behind him with a definitive thud.

It sounded like the crack of doom to Pietro's ears. What would happen to him now?

_**To be continued...**_

_AN: Yeah, so we won't be seeing Pietro again for a while in this story. Don't worry, he will appear again, but I want the story to be more focused on Wanda at first._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**_Disclaimer: All belongs to Marvel._**

Wanda wasn't handling her brother's absence well. Yes, he'd only been gone for a few hours, but she couldn't help worrying. From what Jarvis had told her about these Chitauri, Pietro and the others were in a dangerous situation. Pepper had kept her company for a while, claiming she'd had enough of paperwork. They had talked about a few of the romance novels that Pepper enjoyed, though Wanda had to admit she'd never heard of most of them. Still, it was fun, spending time with a woman near her own age. Pietro had been her only company for so long...

Unfortunately, some sort of problem had apparently come up at Stark Industries, so Pepper had to leave, apologising several times for leaving her alone. So now Wanda was pacing up and down the library, trying to find something to read. Nothing really seemed interesting enough, though, so she went back to her scheduled worrying.

Steve had been in the gym for hours, and had spent time on every single piece of equipment by now. This was actually getting boring...

"Jarvis, where's everyone else?" He panted, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Miss Potts left for a meeting at Stark Industries an hour ago. Master Stark, Mr Maximoff and Dr Banner have not yet returned. Miss Maximoff is currently in the library."

Steve unwound the protective bandages from his hands, deciding to go and keep the newest Avenger company. It wasn't good to brood about things alone, and he knew she was probably worried about her brother. Besides, if she was going to be part of the team, then he should make an effort to make her feel at home.

Wanda jumped when Steve came in. He smiled at her, but she didn't return the gesture this time. She was still feeling guilty about last night's incident, and despite Steve's earlier words, she couldn't really believe that he wasn't angry.

"How're you doing?" Steve walked over and stood next to her, examining the nearest bookshelf. "You like reading?"

Wanda shrugged, uneasy. "I do enjoy it, but Tony doesn't really have much that interests me."

Steve laughed. "I know. I honestly think Tony only has this library to look good. He's not the type to read. He'd rather be messing with his gadgets. Or drinking. Or both."

"But you enjoy reading?" Wanda ventured. "You don't strike me as the type of person who would stay in with a book. I assumed you preferred outdoor activities, being a soldier and all..."

"Oh...hasn't anyone told you my story?"

Wanda shook her head.

"And you're not from America, so you probably haven't heard of my alter ego..." Steve frowned. "Well, I can tell you if you're interested, but I don't think it's that exciting. Everyone else seems to disagree though..."

"I would like to hear it, but not if you're uncomfortable." Wanda assured him quickly.

"No, no, its fine." Steve sat down in one of the soft chairs in the corner, gesturing at Wanda to do the same. "To start with, I was born in 1918."

"What? But you look... I mean..." Wanda went red, afraid she'd just offended him. But what he'd just said was impossible!

He laughed again at her expression. He explained about Dr Erksine, the super-soldier project and becoming Captain America. He left out details about the battles with Hydra, as his 1940s mentality insisted that stories like that were too unpleasant for a young woman. He told her about his final act in WWII, and waking up seventy years later.

Her expression was sympathetic. "It must be difficult for you, knowing that so much time has passed you by like that."

"I've gotten used to it. Some things still suprise me though... I still have trouble working a cellphone! Where I'm from, phones were things that stayed in houses, not got carried around in pockets. And that's without all these other inventions, ipads and ipods and who knows what else."

That got a laugh out of Wanda. "I know! I've seen all these sorts of things, and all I ever think is 'what's the _point?_' Back home in Transia, almost all technology was unheard of!"

"Really?" Steve looked surprised. "I know some countries in Eastern Europe are considered behind the times, but I didn't realise it was to that extent." That said, he mused, he'd never even heard of Transia before...

Wanda nodded. "Among my people, people who didn't work passed the time reading, or carving, or sewing. We had no televisions or computers. We didn't even have electricity!"

"Sounds like Transia got left behind in time." Steve noted.

"In a lot of ways, it did. Pietro and I lived with our parents in a caravan! I mean a horse-drawn one, not the ones you can attatch to cars. Our father was a carpenter," Wanda smiled, getting immersed in her story, enjoying the few memories she had of a happier time. "We moved around a lot, though we never went very far from Wundagore- a valley that was well known to our people. Pietro and I used to love exploring, though we tried not to go near the mountain." She only realised what she'd said after it was too late. Steve was easy to talk to, but she didn't want to discuss that place...

Steve had noticed her sudden freeze, but decided not to comment on it. "Do you miss it there?"

"No. I mean, obviously I miss my parents, but I'm never going to go back there." She suppressed a shiver- going back there would mean facing the being from Wundagore Mountain again.

"I miss my parents too. Even though they died before I turned eighteen..."

"I'm sorry." Wanda's voice was sad.

"I made my peace with that a long time ago. How old were you when you lost your parents?"

"Ten." Wanda's voice was a whisper now. She wasn't comfortable discussing this.

"And you and your brother have been on your own ever since? That's harsh... If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

Wanda bit her lip, hesitating. She had no real answers for that- she really _didn't_ understand what had happened, and telling Steve the whole story would no doubt get her labelled as insane. Possession? A haunted mountain? No-one would ever believe that.

Thankfully, Pepper came in at that moment, distracting Steve from the conversation. He smiled warmly at her.

"Hey, Pepper, you're back earlier than I thought-"

A loud thumping noise from somewhere above them made them all jump.

"Jarvis, what was that?" Pepper's voice was wary. She'd had enough unexplained visits during that whole mess with Killian...

"A portal appears to have just opened and quickly closed on the roof, Miss Potts." Jarvis was silent for a moment. "Mr Odinson and his brother appear to be paying us a surprise visit."

Steve stood up in alarm, and Pepper tensed.

"Why has Thor brought _Loki_ back here?!" Steve demanded. "Hasn't he caused enough trouble?"

Wanda looked from Steve to Pepper, not understanding what the problem was. Who were Thor and Loki? She thought she recognised the names from a book on mythology that she'd read once, but Steve and Jarvis seemed to be referring to real people...

Footsteps could soon be heard on the stairs, heading towards them. Steve muttered something under his breath, and moved protectively in front of Wanda and Pepper. Wanda kept her eyes on the library door, tensing in anticipation.

A huge man with long blond hair and a short beard came in first. He was wearing old fashioned armour and a flowing red cape, and he held an enormous hammer in his right hand. She'd never seen anyone so intimidating! He was followed by an equally tall, but slender man with sleek black hair. He too was wearing armour, but his cape was green, and he carried no weapon. Wanda couldn't work out why Steve was glaring at him so fiercely. The two newcomers stared at them for a minute. The blond man spoke first.

"Steven Rogers. Lady Pepper. It is good to see you again." He frowned in confusion when his eyes fell on Wanda, but he didn't ask any questions.

"Thor." Steve nodded a greeting. "Would you mind explaining what he's doing here?" He gestured towards the dark-haired man.

"Loki has come here to aid earth against the Chitauri. We know there was a sighting of them very recently, and have reason to believe that they will strike again."

Steve turned to Loki, his voice dripping scorn. "_You_ want to help us _against_ the Chitauri? Excuse me if I find that hard to believe."

Loki smirked arrogantly. "Believe what you wish, mortal. It is true that I care little for Earth, but I have recently discovered that the Chitauri are a grave threat to the whole universe. I have no desire to see them ruling the galaxy, so rest assured, I will do whatever is necessary to stop them."

Steve folded his arms. "They wouldn't even know about Earth if it weren't for you."

Loki actually looked worried. "I wish that were the case, Rogers, but it is not. Their leader has had plans of conquest for Earth for a very long time." _'At least, he has if my suspicions are true...'_ Loki quashed the thought. He couldn't let fear keep him from doing what was necessary.

Thor broke into the conversation. "Where is Stark? I had intended to ask him if he would allow Loki and I to stay here while on Earth."

Pepper glanced uneasily at Loki before speaking. "Tony isn't here right now. I can give you permission, I suppose...but I'd prefer it if he," she looked at Loki, "was staying in one of our secure rooms. I don't think Tony will want him wandering around anywhere he likes."

Thor inclined his head, accepting her words and ignoring Loki's scowl. "Thank you for being so accommodating, Lady Pepper." He glanced at Wanda again, who had been standing there feeling very confused for the last ten minutes. "I do not believe I have met your other guest..."

Steve and Pepper both looked startled- they had almost completely forgotten Wanda was there! Pepper recovered first.

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry. Thor, this is Wanda Maximoff. She and her brother are staying here for a while. Tony's asked them both to join the Avengers." Pepper turned to Wanda. "And this is Thor. He's one of the original members of the team. That's his brother Loki." She waved a hand in Loki's direction dismissively. Loki grimaced in annoyance. How dare this mortal treat him as though he were unimportant?

Wanda managed to smile at Thor. "Pleased to meet you." She said softly. His size made her uneasy, but if Steve and Pepper trusted him...

"And you." Thor smiled. "So you seek to join the Avengers? A worthy endeavour. May I meet your brother as well?"

Steve stepped in, seeing that Wanda was nervous again. "Her brother's actually gone with Tony and Bruce. They've gone to deal with the Chitauri you mentioned. They should be back soon."

"Of course. Could someone show Loki and I to our chambers then? We will settle in, and I will converse with my friends when they return."

"Um, sure. Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"Could you show Thor and Loki where they'll be staying? Thor can have the spare room on Steve's floor. Loki is going to stay in the room next to Bruce's."

"Of course." Jarvis agreed. "If you and your brother would go to the stairs, Mr Odinson, I will tell you both where to go."

Thor led Loki out of the room, both of them looking a bit nonplussed about listening to a computer. Wanda wasn't sure if they even knew what Jarvis was. She turned back to Pepper and Steve.

"So is one of you going to tell me more about them now?" Her eyes were twinkling, and she, Pepper and Steve all burst out laughing.

"Care to share the joke?" Natasha's voice came from the doorway. Clint stood right behind her.

"What- How did you two get in here?" Pepper was stunned.

"Jarvis let us in. Fury sent us here as soon as we detected the portal. We were already in New York, waiting for Stark and Banner to get back, so it wasn't hard to get here. We've been waiting for you to finish talking to our resident god for about ten minutes. What's Thor doing here anyway?" Clint gazed at Steve expectantly, wanting an answer.

"Er..." Steve _really_ didn't want to be the one to tell Clint that Loki was back on Earth, even if it was (supposedly) for a good reason. "Well, apparently the Asgardians know about the Chitauri showing up again. They think there might be more than one troop of the things so Thor's come to help. And, uh... well, don't get mad, but he brought Loki with him."

"_What?!_" Clint sounded outraged. "Why the hell did you even let that psycho in the building?!"

"Clint, he claims he wants to help." Steve spoke calmly, trying to make the assasin keep his temper.

"Right. _Loki_ wants to help us. And you just buy this?"

"Clint." Natasha's voice was firm. "I think you of all people should believe in giving second chances. Don't let your personal feelings get in the way of that. I don't trust Loki either, but at least if he's here, we can keep an eye on him. Fury will be hearing about this though." She warned, glancing at Steve and Pepper.

Clint scowled. "Fine, I'll let it go...for now. But if he puts _one foot_ out of line..." He smiled menacingly.

Any further discussion came to an abrupt end when the Quinjet came into view.

"Finally." Steve muttered. Tony, Bruce and Pietro had been gone for far longer than he'd imagined. He, Pepper, Wanda, Clint, Thor (who had come to investigate the noise of the jet) and Natasha made their way to the roof eagerly.

Natasha glanced at them all. "Just to warn you in advance, I'm going to be ripping them a new one when they land. Fury's orders, because they went and did exactly what he told them not to."

Steve sighed. Arguments between Tony and Natasha were all too frequent...

The jet landed on the roof, and Wanda was the first one to make her way over to it. Tony and Bruce climbed out slowly, both of them looking grieved.

Something twisted in Wanda's stomach.

Tony and Bruce both had their eyes on the ground, and so didn't immediately notice the group waiting for them. They were obviously alone.

Wanda began unconsciously shaking her head. _No, no, no...he promised he'd come back!_

Steve glanced at her worriedly before walking over to Tony. The billionaire said something too quiet for the others to hear, and Steve went white.

Bruce made his way over to Wanda, reluctantly meeting her eyes. He took a deep breath.

"Wanda...I'm so sorry. Pietro didn't make it." He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to show some support. She was alone in the world now...

She pushed him off, her eyes full of tears. All the blood had drained from her face. Steve led the others away, to give her some privacy. None of them spoke.

Wanda's knees gave out, and she collapsed on the rough concrete surface. Her hands were shaking. She began sobbing. The sound increased until it became a scream. Red light flowed from her hands and she realised her powers were active again, Right now it didn't seem important though. Nothing mattered anymore.

The Avengers watched in horrified fascination as the strange light expanded outwards. The ground nearest to Wanda seemed to be bubbling like hot tar, and the effect was spreading towards them. Thor noted with shock that Mjolnir was vibrating, something it was only meant to do if there was danger nearby. The crimson light surrounded the Quinjet, and Tony yelled in protest as parts of it began to smoke. It was giving off noxious fumes as the smoke became fire, and in a matter of minutes, the entire jet would explode.

Bruce tried shouting to Wanda, knowing she was causing this, but she didn't respond. Her face was pressed to her knees now and she was crying silently. Her hands still glowed.

Storm clouds appeared over Stark Tower, and rain poured down, courtesy of Thor, in an attempt to extinguish the flames. It worked, but Wanda's powers were still causing havoc. The jet began falling to pieces for no apparent reason, and the generators that supplied the tower's energy flickered and went out. The roof still appeared to be boiling, every window that overlooked the roof had shattered and now the whole structure was trembling.

Thor looked at Wanda in amazement. "I had no idea mortals could use magic to this extent..."

"This isn't exactly a 'magical' situation, Thor!" Clint snapped. He tried shooting an arrow topped with a tranq dart at Wanda, but it veered off course before it got within two feet of her, embedding itself in one of the remaining windows.

Clint was stunned. He had _never_ missed a stationary target! He took aim again, but Natasha beat him to it. She leapt over the melting concrete, landing gracefully on the 'safe' zone surrounding Wanda and promptly used a sleeper hold on the hysterical young woman. As soon as she was unconscious, the effects of her power stopped spreading. The Avengers surveyed the wreckage in shock.

"Unbelievable..." Tony muttered. "How can _one person_ have power like that," glancing at Thor, "even if it is magic?"

No-one had an answer. Steve lifted Wanda's limp form and carried her to her room. He hesitated before leaving, unsure if she should be left alone. Pepper solved that problem for him.

"I'll stay with her, Steve. I think she might need someone to be there for her when she wakes up." Pepper wiped her eyes. "Losing your only family...no wonder she reacted like that. And having power like that to keep in check all the time... I wouldn't want to be in her shoes."

"I know." Steve said feelingly. "She's had a lot to deal with. but she's a fighter. She'll be ok." He sighed heavily as he left the room. _'She'll have to be ok...or I don't know what Shield might decide to do with her...'_

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Loki was pacing in his room, trying to think of stategies of what to do if, or more likely when, the Chitauri's true master made an appearance. After all, there was only so much he could do against a being like that... Thor had left some time ago, first going to find his own quarters, then rushing off to the roof, saying something about his mortal friends returning. Loki rolled his eyes. Mortal friends...Thor was so hopeless!

A sudden powerful surge of magical energy almost knocked Loki off his feet. When the tower stopped shaking a few minutes later, and the lights came back on, he struggled to stand upright. Where had _that_ come from? He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind, trying to see what the source of the power was. His eyes flew open a second later, and he gasped, looking around fearfully.

It couldn't be...the power that had just wreaked havoc felt the same as the energy used by the being who controlled the Chitauri in all but name...but _He_ could not be on Earth already, surely? If he was here, however, Loki knew he had far less time to act than he feared. This being could not have its way, or there would be nothing left of the universe. Loki had to stop him before that happened. And he did not care how he did it. Nothing mattered more than halting the evil being's plans._ Nothing._

_To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything but the plot._

Wanda sat up groggily, feeling disoriented. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was- in her room in Stark Tower. Memories of the previous day (was it yesterday?) came flooding back. Grief for Pietro warred with anger at Tony and Bruce- why hadn't they protected him? She felt a small stab of guilt for losing control the way she had, but ignored it. She left her room, planning to go and ask the 'Avengers' exactly what had happened during their fight with these alien beings.

"Jarvis, where is everyone?"

"Agents Barton and Romanoff are holding a meeting in the conference room on the twelfth floor. They and the other Avengers are discussing the possible reasons for the Chitauri's return. They have asked not to be disturbed."

"Tough." Wanda muttered, a scowl on her face as she made her way to the elevator. "I want to know exactly what happened to my brother."

When she reached the twelfth floor, she looked around. She had no idea where the conference room was, but the sound of raised voices solved that problem for her.

"...you're even here, if you're not going to tell us anything useful! Thor said you had an idea about why the Chitauri were back, which is why we let you sit in on this meeting, but I swear I'm going to use you for target practice if you don't co-operate."

That was Agent Barton, Wanda remembered. The archer. She paused outside the closed door, wondering who he could be talking to. It was a very strange way to talk to a team-mate... A voice she didn't recognise responded to Barton's words.

"I came back to this cursed planet to _deal_ with the threat. I do not have to explain my methods, and I do not require aid from mortals. I would not explain anything, even if I thought there was the slightest chance that any of you fools would understand what I was talking about."

The sound of rapid movement could be heard through the door.

"Clint, no!" That was Romanoff's voice. "Ignore him, he isn't worth the effort." Her tone was one of tight control. "We have more important things to worry about, like why the Chitauri are showing up again now. It's been well over a year since New York. Why not before?"

"Perhaps something has changed between then and now that makes them believe they have a better chance of winning the Earth?"

That was Thor. A silence followed his words. Wanda listened intently, debating on whether or not she should go in there now. Bruce spoke up hesitantly.

"You know, Loki, if you really do know something that could help us figure this out, it would make all our lives easier."

There was another short silence. Wanda imagined that Loki was glaring at Bruce. When he spoke, it sounded as though his teeth were gritted.

"The Chitauri themselves are not the gravest threat here. The being that commands them is the bigger problem. I will deal with him myself. I am only here because Thor insisted upon seeing you all."

"What?" Tony actually sounded affronted. "You don't think we could help deal with this Chitauri overlord, whoever he is?"

"The entity that leads the Chitauri is not one of them, Stark. He is an ancient being, far more powerful than you can comprehend. There is no way any mortals could deal with him."

"You didn't tell me any of this, Brother." Thor sounded puzzled. "When did you work all this out?"

"I am NOT your brother, and I didn't tell you because you would not believe me. I myself wish I was wrong about this, as does Odin. But I sensed the being's power on Earth yesterday, when all Stark's technology went haywire."

Wanda froze upon hearing that. She had been about to knock on the door, to let them know she was there, but Loki's words unnerved her. It almost sounded as if he knew about the demon that gave her her powers. She resolved to keep eavesdropping for now, in the hopes of learning something more.

Tony was speaking again, his voice confused.

"Whoa, back up a minute. What happened yesterday was because of our newest Avenger losing control of her powers after getting some bad news. It has nothing to do with some alien entity, I can assure you."

Outside the door, Wanda hung her head. _If only they knew..._ She jumped as the door flew open.

Natasha was glaring at her as she grabbed her arm and dragged her into the room.

"I knew I heard someone in the corridor."

Every set of eyes in the room were on them. Wanda walked slowly inside, feeling ashamed for being caught eavesdropping, but determined not to show it.

Tony, Bruce and Steve semed unwilling to meet her gaze. Clint was glaring at Loki as though he was his worst enemy, and Loki was looking intently at Wanda, his eyes narrowed, as though he were trying to solve a problem.

Tony cleared his throat. "Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear!"

Steve elbowed him in the side. "Are you feeling any better today, after..." His eyes were sad.

Wanda shrugged. "Not really...but I don't want to talk about it at the moment. I do want to know what happened to my brother eventually, but right now... I think you all were in the middle of something?" She blushed slightly. "Sorry for eavesdropping."

Tony waved his hand dismissively. "No worries. You could've just come in though. You are part of the team now. Assuming you want to be...?"

"I- I think I would. If you'll still have me, after yesterday's accident?" They knew now how dangerous her abilities were, and she half expected them to say they wanted her to leave.

Bruce met her gaze seriously.

"Accidents happen, Wanda. I once destroyed half of Harlem when I lost control. A bit of property damage to a building is nothing in comparison. Besides, with some training, you should be able to prevent things like that. Just think how much good powers like yours could do!"

Loki frowned. "Power like that cannot do good, Banner. You would do better to be rid of her now."

"I wasn't aware that you had the authority to decide who does and doesn't join our team, Loki." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

Clint glanced quickly from Loki to Wanda.

"Who are you to say that? You don't even know her!"

Loki sneered at them all. "Fine, do as you please. Do not expect sympathy from me when one or more of you dies because of her."

"Get out!" Steve stood up, furious. "_You_ are the only person in this room who is a threat to us."

Loki turned and walked away without another word.

Thor looked at Wanda apologetically. "I am sorry about that. He does not usually dislike someone so thoroughly at a first meeting."

"He's probably just annoyed cause there's someone more powerful than him around." Tony smirked. Natasha shook her head. "I hope that's all it is..."

Bruce spoke up, trying to clear the air. "Wanda, did you want to go and start our meditation exercises now?"

Wanda blinked at suddenly being addressed. She had been staring after Loki, lost in thought. How did he know so much about her?

"What? Oh, meditation. Yes, sorry, I was just thinking..." She followed Bruce out of the room.

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Later that night, Wanda was again unable to sleep. This time, it was because she feared having dreams about Pietro. He was gone, and dreaming of their past wouldn't change that, it would only cause pain...

Bruce had told her what had happened in the Himalayas, about the utter disappearance of Pietro and the alien he had been fighting. The lack of a body made accepting his death difficult, but Wanda resolved that if nothing else, she would fight alongside the Avengers against the Chitauri. They would pay for taking her twin from her. The calming exercises with Bruce had been helpful.

After several hours practice, he had asked her to concentrate on levitating something, and for once, her power had done as she had wanted, and nothing had gone wrong. It was a victory, however small, and it raised her hopes of gaining full control someday, though Bruce had cautioned her that that could take years.

Thinking of her powers brought her mind back to Loki. Could the being he referred to, the Chitauri's master, be the same creature that had cursed her as a child? If it _was_... he might have knowledge that could help her. Something about him unnerved her, however, and asking him for information would mean telling the Avengers the whole story... After tossing and turning for some time, she gave up, and made her way downstairs. Getting up at night was going to become a habit, it seemed. She made herself another mug of tea, and headed to the library. The atmosphere in there was relaxing and if she couldn't fall asleep, then at least she could read quietly, and not disturb anyone.

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Loki sat bolt upright after a disturbing nightmare. His heart was pounding, even as he tried to reassure himself that it was just a dream. Sigyn was safe in Asgard. She was _not_ a captive of The Other, his mind was just playing tricks on him, playing on his fears... He had not spoken to his childhood friend for many years though, so why had she appeared in his dreams now? He rose and dressed silently, determined to make certain, one way or another, by questioning the human woman who channelled the demon's power, apparently ignorant of its true source. He went and checked her room first- it was empty. Maybe Stark's strange computer could help him, what was it called again...?

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Mr Odinson?"

Loki resisted the urge to tell it not to call him that. "Where is..." He'd forgotten her name, curse it! "Where is the new member of the team, the young woman?"

"Miss Maximoff is currently in the library, sir."

He nodded resolutely, setting off towards it.

"Mr Odinson?"

Loki clenched his fists. "Yes, Jarvis?"

"The library is in the oposite direction to where you are currently heading, if you wanted to know."

Trying to convince himself that destroying Jarvis would not be helpful, he scowled, then turned and strode quickly in the right direction.

Wanda had just finished reading The Hobbit, and was looking for something else when Loki crept up behind her. His heart was pounding, he was determined but afraid. She turned when he got close- he grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall, pressing his arm across her neck. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream. He pressed harder. Her voice came out a strangled yelp. She stared at him, terrified. A red glow was beginning to surround her hands.

"I want to talk to him," Loki snarled, bringing his own magic to bear against her, trapping the red glow in green.

Confusion mixed with the fear in Wanda's eyes. "Talk to who?" she choked out. He couldn't really _want_ to talk to the demon, surely? Unless- the thought made her shiver- unless they were secretly allies...

"He knows." Loki pulled a knife from his jacket and pressed the point to Wanda's chest. He felt the tip slice through her shirt and into her skin. She gasped with pain.

"Talk to me, or I'll kill your chosen one." Loki's face was pale, but determined.

Wanda stared at him with mounting fear, feeling more and more tired... she realised too late what was happening, and couldn't stop it. She blacked out.

Loki watched, desperate, as the woman's head lolled when she passed out, then she slowly awakened again. No...not her, _Him. _Her eyes glowed scarlet, and a cruel smile twisted her lips.

"Well met, little king," she drawled mockingly. "Oh, wait. You are not a king. You were defeated, a weak child!" His/her voice was utterly non-human, and so full of burning hatred.

Loki felt the magic blast before it happened, but his powers were no match. He was thrown across the room, cracking hard against the wall. The woman, the host, viewed him with a smile, her whole body engulfed in a crimson aura.

"Where is she?" he gasped, ignoring the blinding pain.

The creature possessing the mortal body smirked. "Your foolish friend, Freyja's daughter? She is being... _minded_ by my other avatar, to ensure you do not interfere with my plans. I knew you had worked out my secret when you returned here. Stay out of my way, and your precious Sigyn _might_ be returned to you, with no permanent damage. Cross me...and I will make you watch every moment of her slow death. Do I make myself clear?"

Loki thought frantically. He didn't have a prayer of defeating this being, even if it was confined in a mortal form. He tried to play for time.

"Why does one such as you need to resort to possession, anyway? You did not need such methods all those centuries ago, in Asgard..."

"When you unleashed me, you mean? Yes, that was an amusing interlude, until the cursed sun god intervened... to answer your question, Jotun runt, at present, this is the only way I can manifest on Earth. I will change that soon enough, however, when I gain full control of this host, and wipe out the human personality completely. It is only a matter of time." He/she shook her head, as if Loki was amusing her. "And you need not think that you are doing yourself any favours by delaying me in conversation. No-one will come to investigate down here, and no-one will believe you later, Prince of _Lies_." She laughed mockingly.

Another concussive blast of scarlet energy erupted from her hands, and Loki screamed in pain as it made contact. His last conscious thought was about Jarvis...at least this scene had been recorded by the intelligent computer, so that even if he died, the demon would be exposed.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Clint stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. He had not been willing to go to sleep while Loki was in the tower, but Fury had insisted on him and Natasha staying there, to 'keep an eye on our resident psycho God.' Muffled thumps and voices, accompanied by bright flashes of light from downstairs had prompted him to investigate. Jarvis was for some reason unable to see what was happening on the lower floors. It was unusual for Stark's AI to malfunction, but not unheard of. Clint would have bet his bow that Loki was involved somehow- the lying son of a *****.

He made his way stealthily to the library, since the lights in there were on, and the door was open. He walked into the room and froze.

Wanda and Loki were both unconscious, lying several feet away from each other. Neither of them had signs of obvious injury, but there must have been some sort of fight. He checked Wanda's vital signs- she was deeply unconscious, as far as he could tell. He resisted the urge to kick Loki as he walked past.

"Jarvis? Wake up the other Avengers. Looks like Loki's up to his old tricks again." Clint prayed the AI's glitch was over with.

"At once, sir."

Clint folded his arms and waited. This time, even Thor would have to admit his 'brother' had crossed a line. There was no way he was working with them now, after attacking a team member without provocation, though no doubt the 'God' would have a very convincing story to tell, explaining why his actions were justified. Clint kept his eyes locked on the Norse God's unmoving form as the other Avengers filed in to the library to see what was going on.

_To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

_Disclaimer: Everything but the plot is Marvel's._

Loki opened his eyes hastily when the icy water hit his face. He spent the next few minutes coughing and spluttering. When he had recovered enough to breathe normally, he looked around. He was sitting upright, propped against a bookshelf, still in Stark's library. Every single member of The Avengers (except Bruce, who wasn't there,) was glaring at him. Barton was holding an empty pitcher, so apparently he was the one who had awoken him so suddenly. Chthon's host was nowhere to be seen. Elation and dread instantly began warring within Loki. Where was she? What had she told the Avengers? He tried to push himself to his feet and found he couldn't move his legs. No wonder; looking down, he saw Mjolnir pinning him in place.

"I don't suppose you will remove this if I ask politely?" His eyes locked on Thor, who folded his arms.

"No, Loki. Whatever possessed you to attack a defenseless mortal?"

Loki smirked at the irony of that question. The girl was far from defenseless, and the fact that Thor had used the word 'possessed' so casually... He suppressed a humourless laugh.

Steve strode right up to him, furious.

"I'd love to know what you think is so funny! Wanda's still unconscious because of you. I thought you were supposed to be on our side now? Why would you _do_ that?!"

"It is not my fault she was injured!" Loki snapped.

"Oh, I suppose she knocked _herself_ out just to make you look bad, right?" Clint's voice was oozing sarcasm.

Loki closed his eyes for a moment, slowly counting to ten. He finished counting, and sat up straight, meeting the eyes of every one of them.

"If I tell you why I did what I did, will you all promise to hear me out without interrupting, no matter how strange or impossible it sounds to you? I _swear_ I am going to tell you the truth."

"Wow, stop the clocks, you're actually going to be honest?" Tony's expression was somewhere between stunned and highly amused- did the man take _nothing_ seriously? Loki scowled.

Natasha studied Loki intensely. "Something is obviously worrying you... alright." She folded her arms, keeping her eyes on Loki. "I'm at least willing to hear what you've got to say. I'm not guaranteeing I'll believe you, though."

Steve nodded. "I agree, I'll listen, but no promises, Loki."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "This had better be a good story. I don't take kindly to people trying to kill my guests."

Thor stood there in silence, seemingly lost in thought. Clint threw his hands up in exasperation- he couldn't believe the others were even considering trusting this guy! He slumped against the wall in resignation. As far as he was concerned, anything Loki said was a lie, but he'd go along with it for now. Plenty of time to catch him out later...

Loki took a deep breath before speaking.

"I imagine I will have to start this at the very beginning, with the true origins of life on earth, as only Thor will understand if I do not fill in some vital information first."

"Oh, goody, a history lesson," Stark rolled his eyes.

Thor frowned. "Does this-"

"Your uncle is possessing the girl," Loki interrupted. Perhaps if Thor knew the gravity of the situation, he could keep the humans' stupidity reigned in long enough for an explanation-

"Ve?"

So much for that plan. Loki grit his teeth together. "Chthon, you imbecile! Remember, the demon you encountered when you were fifteen?"

"Do not be foolish, Loki, there is no way-"

"Yeah, uh, no, time out!" Tony looked at both the Asgardians in confusion. "Who or what is 'Cathon', and since when do you have a demon for an uncle, Thor?"

"Oh, for..." Loki pinched the bridge of his nose. "There are several omnipowerful beings in the universe known as Elder Gods. They were the first life forms on earth, billions of years ago. Thor is the son of Jord, the spirit of life on earth, and the darkest Elder God, Chthon is possessing Wanda Maximoff. Any more pointless questions?"

Stunned silence filled the room. Clint was the first to recover, shaking his head.

"What a load of _bull_!" He glanced around at his teammates. "You aren't seriously buying any of this, are you? It's ridiculous!"

"Is it, though?" Natasha's voice remained as calm as ever. "A few years ago, none of us believed in Asgardians. Who's to say there isn't something else out there?"

"Come _on_!" Tony exclaimed. "I can accept the existence of aliens that were once thought of as gods, but godlike beings that evolved on earth? Please!"

"Whoa... have we missed something?" Bruce led a pale-faced Wanda into the room, looking around in bemusement at all the shocked faces.

Loki resumed his efforts to shift Mjolnir from his legs, wanting to be as far away from Wanda as possible. Thor looked at his brother's panicked face, then glanced at Wanda warily. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

Thor spoke slowly. "Wanda...my brother believes there may be more to your story than you have revealed." He didn't want to sound as though he was accusing her of anything, but if Loki was right...

She bit her lip nervously.

Bruce blinked. "Wait...what? What's going on?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Loki's defence for attacking Wanda is that she's possessed by some kind of ancient demon. Thor seems to have taken him seriously."

"Right... ok. I've heard weirder things, I guess..." He hadn't actually, but he did notice Wanda deliberately taking a few steps away from him. That, in Bruce's book, meant there was something going on here. _'And who says demons aren't real?'_ He thought to himself. _'A few years ago, Gods weren't real. Neither were monsters like the hulk...'_ He frowned in contemplation.

"I haven't." Steve frowned. He had heard a _lot_ of bizarre things since waking up in the 21st century, but Loki's suggestion was by far the strangest. Steve Rogers did not believe in demons, he was a God-fearing churchgoer... Yet Loki seemed so certain, and Thor believed him...sort of. And obviously_ something_ had happened last night...

Natasha's eyes were on Wanda- The red-headed assasin knew a guilty expression when she saw one.

"Why don't you tell us your side of last night's adventure, Wanda?" She didn't really believe Loki's tall tale, but he himself certainly seemed to. And her gut instincts said Wanda was hiding something. She held the younger woman's gaze for a long moment. Wanda broke eye contact first, nodding slowly.

"I suppose the whole story had to come out sometime... but my problems began a lot earlier than last night." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. Every set of eyes in the room was on her now.

"This whole thing started when I was ten, when Pietro and I," she stumbled a bit over her brother's name, the pain of losing him was still fresh, "when Pietro and I still lived with our parents, in Wundagore Valley."

Loki's eyes narrowed- he knew the secret of that place from his studies of the Elder Gods... it would be a dangerous place for any magic-user to live.

Wanda continued, oblivious to Loki's reaction.

"I can't remember exactly when it started, but I began feeling drawn to Wundagore Mountain, I could almost hear a voice calling to me, and yes, I _know_ that sounds insane. It frightened me, but I couldn't ignore it. At one point, I heard the voice say that all the crops would fail that autumn. I made the mistake of trying to warn the farmers." She shivered slightly at the memory. "The people in my village were superstitious. When my warning came true, they blamed me, and a mob was unleashed on my family."

Bruce ignored the inexplicable part of the story, and looked at her sympathetically.

"Is that how they died? In a fight with the other villagers?"

"Yes...and no. That was when my powers first appeared, to deal with the threat, but... I wasn't the one who used them, then."

"What do you mean?" Steve looked confused. "If you weren't using your powers-"

"That was the first time Chthon took possession of her." Loki cut in cruelly.

"Oh for God's sake, will you stop saying that?!" Clint exploded. "I don't know what actually happened to Wanda ten years ago, but there has to be a simpler explanation than the garbage you keep feeding us! There's no such thing as demons!" He glanced around at his teammates for support: Natasha had a thoughtful line on her forehead, meaning she at least was taking Loki seriously. Tony's expression was openly mocking, but there was worry in his eyes. Bruce was wringing his hands, obviously trying to grasp this new knowledge- no help there. Thor just looked severly concerned, though about who, Clint couldn't tell- the god wasn't looking at anyone.

He looked at Wanda. "You can't seriously believe this. He's brainwashed you somehow, or he's just controlling you to do what he says. Hardly the first time you've done that, is it, Loki?" He spat. He began to pull Wanda out of the room. She didn't need to hear any more of this snake's lies!

"Clint, calm down." Wanda's voice was quiet, even as she pulled out of his grip. "I never knew exactly what was influencing me that day, but I've had nightmares of it ever since. I can't rule out the 'demon' possibility, as much as I want to." She looked hesitantly at Loki. "You seemed to know something was wrong with me earlier, before you... _asked_ to speak to the demon. How?"

Thor's head jerked as if he were in a car that had suddenly braked without warning.

"Loki, you did _what_?! As if your meddling with him did not cause enough trouble last time!"

Bruce's eyebrows rose. "So this 'Chthon' is real, and you two have crossed paths with him _before_?"

"Unfortunately." Thor's voice was dark. "And it is not something I care to recall. I cannot fathom why Loki would attempt such a thing again."

Steve shook his head. _'So now there is a possibility of something existing that we don't understand, I have to assume Thor's telling the truth...' _"Loki, if you've worked with this creature before, why should we believe that you're not doing so again?"

"Good point, actually." Natasha observed. "How do we know you weren't trying to make a deal with this entity, and it went wrong?" She folded her arms.

Loki met Thor's eyes, hoping desperately that he would be believed. "He has Sigyn, Thor. He took her to prevent me interfering in his plans."

"Who's Sigyn?" Tony interrupted.

Thor ignored him, turning startled eyes on Loki. "Sigyn?! How, _why?_ And how could you possibly know of that? You have not spoken to Sigyn since her marriage!"

"He taunted me with the knowledge in my dreams, hoping to bribe me into silence."

Thor scowled. "Are you telling me you knew of his attempt to possess someone before we even came back to earth?"

"No, I knew nothing of her." He gestured at Wanda. "He has another avatar filled with his essence. This being pretends to serve another, but manipulates his 'master' into doing what he wants. This avatar is the one who stole into Asgard and kidnapped Sigyn." Seeing that Thor looked unconvinced, Loki resorted to pleading.

"Thor, _please._ You know how much Sigyn means to me, in spite of everything that has happened recently. I cannot sit idly by and do nothing while she is in danger!"

"If, and I say if, I take your accusation seriously, why in Odin's name would you try and solve the problem yourself? Did we not both learn, centuries ago, that it is not our place to deal with the Elder gods?" Thor suppressed the memories of the huge, intimidating being who policed the universe, ending any threats of the Elders before they could truly become dangerous. "The sun-being almost killed you back then, Loki, why would you risk falling into his bad graces once more?"

"I hope to end this before Atum becomes involved once again. Please," Loki's eyes were desperate, and he humbled the last of his pride before finishing his sentence. "Please trust me... brother."

Thor's eyes widened. Loki had actually called him _brother,_ once again? His heart swelled- he had never thought to hear that again... He would have rejoiced if the situation was not so grave. He thought for a few minutes in silence. Possession was not a power that Chthon had flaunted during their previous encounter, but that did not mean he was incapable of it, and the girl's power had given him an unnerving sense of danger. He met Loki's eyes.

"I will consider your words, at least. I assume Sigyn is in no immediate danger as long as you leave the situation alone?"

Loki nodded glumly. Thor glanced at Wanda quickly, his eyes full of foreboding. "There is someone I must speak with. I will return as soon as I may, preferably with help. I would reccommend you not use your abilities again until we know more of what is going on."

Tony scratched his head. "Does anyone besides me feel totally lost here?" Loki seemed almost in despair, and Thor looked like he had just had the shock of his life.

"No, join the club." Steve looked as baffled as Tony did. Clint nodded his agreement. None of this made any sense. Fear was beginning to infect all of them. If all this was real, what did that mean for their world? Natasha and Bruce appeared calm on the surface, but their minds were as shell-shocked as the others'.

"But..." Wanda felt uneasy. She had wanted more help than this. Her situation, her powers, all of it sounded more terrifying than anything she had imagined. Thor was just leaving? What if something else happened? Her eyes were fearful.

Thor's expression grew painfully serious. "Wanda, I _do not know_ how to deal with this. I must consult someone who does." He glared at Loki briefly. "And you are to remain here, and do _nothing_, is that understood, Brother?"

"Does that mean you are forbidding me to draw breath, Odinson?" Loki sneered.

"Good idea." Clint muttered under his breath.

Thor glanced around at his mortal comrades, beginning to whirl Mjolnir enough to gain momentum to fly.

"Hey, hang on, you've only just arrived!" Tony protested. "And you can't just leave your brother here indefinitely!"

But Thor was already gone, flying off into the distance.

"Great." Tony huffed. "I need a drink." _'And I'm going to have Jarvis research on all the names I just heard: Chthon, Jord, and... Atum, was it? There has to be a rational explanation for the stories Thor seems to believe.'_

The other Avengers eventually wandered off to entertain themselves. Clint, Natasha and Steve made their way to the gym to try and take their minds off things. Bruce, after a concerned glance at Wanda, had gone for a walk to clear his head- all this stress wasn't good for the other guy. Loki remained where he was, glaring broodingly at the sky. He wanted to be out looking for Sigyn, not stuck here because his not-brother said so!

Wanda had gone back to her room after Thor's abrupt departure, and was pacing restlessly back and forth, trying to make sense of everything she now knew.

Chthon...an Elder God...older than humankind... but what did it want with _her_? That made no sense... _why?! _She sat down cross-legged on the red carpet and tried to meditate again, to calm down- getting overwhelmed with terror wouldn't help her now. A sharp knock on her door made her jump. She got to her feet and opened it hesitantly.

"Loki? What do you want?"

He spread his hands. "I came to apologise for my harsh words earlier, and for what I caused last night. This must have come as quite a shock to you."

His tone was sympathetic, soothing, but Wanda didn't trust him. He had been willing to kill her last night, after all... She folded her arms, moving so she blocked the doorway. He was _not_ coming in here.

Loki sighed when she did not respond. "Look, I _am_ sorry. I have just learned that one of my closest friends is being held captive, I think I am entitled to be short-tempered, don't you?"

"I suppose." Wanda admitted grudgingly. "But I can't help but think you came here because you wanted something."

"There's no fooling you, is there? There may be a way you can help me locate Sigyn, through your connection to Chthon. I do not suppose you would be willing to help me?"

Wanda considered for a minute- she, indirectly, had almost killed Loki last night, so she supposed she owed him something. But Thor had advised her not to use her powers... She eyed Loki suspiciously.

"What do I actually have to do?"

In answer, Loki barged past her into her room, and pulled the vanity mirror off the wall. He murmured a few Norse words over the reflective surface, then beckoned her to come stand beside him.

"Just gaze into the mirror while drawing on your power. I will focus on Sigyn, and hopefully, you will be able to show me where she is."

"Are you sure about this? It could easily go wrong..."

"It is only a scrying, I see no way that could cause harm. Now concentrate!"

A dim reddish glow appeared around Wanda's hands as she tried to put herself in the meditative state Bruce had shown her yesterday. A cool green light encompassed Loki's hands, and-

_A woman with long blonde braids stood in a dark cave, her wrists chained to the walls, which were engraved with glowing blue runes of some kind. She wore an old-fashioned but beautiful gown, and she appeared terrified. A hooded and cloaked figure stood guard over her. All that could be seen of him was a misshapen grey hand with six digits. A small amount of daylight shone into the huge cavern, and the view outside was briefly illuminated._

The girl's eyes went utterly blank in a matter of seconds, and Loki tensed, not willing to fight Chthon again yet. Nothing happened, however, she seemed unresponsive, and the mirror was showing him nothing. He ground his teeth in frustration. Without warning, the mirror erupted in a column of fire. Loki recoiled from the searing heat, cursing. The mirror fell from his suddenly nerveless hands, and it fell to the floor with a crash. The noise seemed to waken Wanda from her trance. The glow around her hands died, as did the fire on the mirror. It continued smoking as she looked around, seeming confused.

"What happened?" Loki's voice was annoyed. "I thought I asked you to try and show me where Sigyn was, not try and roast me alive!"

"What do you mean...what happened to the mirror?" Her question sounded genuine.

"It caught alight." He sounded livid, like he blamed _her._

"I told you this was a bad idea!" She was annoyed now. "_You_ insisted on attempting this."

Loki glared at her. "I wasted my time on this for nothing!"

"Wait...didn't _you_ see it?"

Loki's eyes widened. "Did you actually see something?"

Wanda nodded slowly. "I think so... assuming what I saw is real... your Sigyn is being held captive at Wundagore Mountain." She shivered involuntarily.

Loki's eyes gleamed. He walked out of her room without a word. She ran after him, afraid of what he might be planning.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I am going to retrieve my friend, where did you think I was going?"

"But you can't go there! Wundagore is where Chthon is strongest! Besides, didn't your brother ask you to stay here?"

"He is not my brother, and I will do as I wish. I did not ask for your opinion."

Wanda gritted her teeth- did Loki have a death wish? "Hasn't it occured to you how convenient it is that I saw this, exactly when you wanted me to? Anyone with a brain would realise this spells 'Trap!'"

Loki didn't even look back at her as he walked into the aircraft hangar. The cooler air made him shiver, but he ignored it. He could still hear Wanda following him, that worked to his advantage... He said nothing, meeting her gaze for a moment in silence.

"Fine, I'll come with you." Wanda sighed. Even though the _last_ thing she wanted to do was go back to Wundagore, she knew those caves far better than Loki would, and he couldn't go alone...

He didn't speak to her again as they both climbed into the quinjet, thus she was totally unaware that he had cast an invisibility spell around them. It took Loki a few minutes to work out how to fly the jet, but soon they were well on their way.

Loki remained silent throughout the journey, focusing on the ideas of freeing Sigyn, and dealing with the repugnant Other, once and for all. He refused to dwell on the less pleasant side of his plan. He was only doing this because he had to... They arrived at Wundagore all too soon. Wanda grew very hesitant- she had too many bad memories associated with this place, even though part of her felt as though it had come home at last. Loki let her lead, and she made her way slowly through the dank caves, at any moment expecting to hear that dreaded voice echoing from within the stone as it had in the past...

Nothing happened, however, and soon she could see the entrance to the cave from her vision. She stopped walking abruptly, gesturing at Loki to be quiet. She remembered that every sound they made would echo for at least two minutes.

"_Is this it?_" Loki mouthed.

She nodded. "_I think so_."

Loki gazed into the dimly-lit cave for a few minutes. "Yes, I sense Sigyn here." He murmured. He hung his head slightly, before turning to Wanda.

"I really hope you do not take this personally, girl, but I cannot allow Chthon to be reborn. No matter what I have to do to prevent it."

Wanda turned to face him warily, about to ask what he was talking about-

His dagger sank deep into her stomach. Pain turned her vision red, as blood poured from her wound, soaking the stone floor of the cave. She fell to her knees. She managed to look up at Loki in disbelief. His expression was almost regretful.

"I am so sorry... your sacrifice will mean Earth's survival. Is it not worth that?" He wasn't sure if he was asking that question of Wanda, or of himself... He waited until he was sure she would not get back up.

Casting a spell of concealment on the mortal girl's unmoving body, he ran into the next cavern. Strange blue runes were etched into the walls, floor and ceiling here, but Loki hardly noticed them, because The Other stood facing Sigyn, who was manacled to the wall. It had a sharp curved blade clutched tightly in its hand. Loki winced- the knife was identical to one the creature had used on him, while it tormented him on Thanos' orders...or its own. Sigyn's face was bruised, and one eye was nearly swollen shut, but nonetheless, her eyes widened when she saw Loki. The Other whirled instantly to see what had caught her attention.

"Well, well, the runtling prince, come to rescue his childhood love." It cackled obscenely. "Were you not ordered to stay out of our plans?"

"I am not overly good at following orders." Loki replied smoothly. The Other took a few unhurried steps towards him. Sweat beaded on his neck, but at least it was moving away from Sigyn.

"Such a shame... and by coming here, you will join this one in her pain."

"Release her, and I will stay willingly." Loki had never been so serious about anything.

The Other laughed cruelly. "I think not. You will both remain here, as witnesses when this world falls to our Chaos once again. And this time, nothing will stand in our way!"

It moved closer to Loki, raising the knife menacingly. He spoke quickly, playing for time.

"Does Thanos know the true identity of his 'servant'?"

"The titan? Hardly. He will serve a purpose, however, by distracting the team of 'Avengers' that thoroughly thrashed you in your battle for earth while I set my plans into motion. Once his role is fulfilled, he will achieve the reward he has always yearned for: He will meet Death!" The Other roared with laughter, and Loki lunged, grabbing for the knife.

He grunted with the effort of wrestling with this unnaturally strong being, receiving many shallow cuts and gashes for his trouble, and silently thanking the Norns that Chthon had not given this malformed creature magical abilities. Eventually, the Other's grip weakened, and Loki was able to wrest the blade from him. He then wasted no time in gutting the repulsive creature, and ran to Sigyn's side as soon as it collapsed. Using the same knife, he cut through her restraints, then supported her weight as she nearly collapsed on him.

Sigyn managed to raise her head despite her weariness, and stared at him, wide-eyed with shock. "Loki...what...how?"

"I will explain later. Come, we must return home." He ran out of the caves, pulling Sigyn after him, thinking desperately of the nearest hidden route back to Asgard. He never looked back.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.

Wanda Maximoff's eyes fluttered as her breathing slowed to almost nothing. She knew she was dying, and she was alone. She was afraid...it was so cold...

**"You do not need to fear any more."**

That voice...it meant something bad, she knew that, but she felt so weak, she couldn't remember why...

**"Your time is done, mortal. But the one who tried to destroy us utterly will pay dearly for it soon enough."**

"What..." It was the last thing Wanda managed to say before everything went black.

Dark clouds gathered over Wundagore Mountain, and scarlet lightning cleaved the sky.

Chthon stood up in his new form, rejoicing at having overcome the mortal's will at last. Now there was nothing preventing him from claiming this world. He laughed in exulatation at the thought. Soon, he would summon his true form back to earth, then all who had been responsible for his exile would pay...

_To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

_Disclaimer: The plot is mine. Everything else is Marvel's._

Tony was idly adjusting one of his repulsor gauntlets while reading through the last of the displays that Jarvis had found for him. He scoffed.

"So these 'Elder Gods' have been appearing in myth for centuries, all over the world?" He shook his head. "This stuff's insane! There's no way any of it's possible..."

"The myths have to originated from somewhere, sir. And they do all seem to share common themes, despite being narrated by ancient peoples who could never have crossed paths."

"Thanks, Jarvis, but I didn't ask for a commentary!" Tony rubbed his arms, ignoring the goosebumps that had risen. Jarvis did have a point...all these stories had at least the basic ideas in common. He shivered as he looked at a grotesque drawing of a monstrous red-skinned winged creature devouring the head of a serpent-like creature.

'It can't be real...'

Waving a hand to make the disturbing image disappear, he decided to go and see what the others were up to. He preferred to do his hero-work in the _real_ world, not in some supernatural horror story...

Clint was sparring with Steve while Natasha was practicing at the shooting range. They had been at this for some time, and the air was heavy with words that were studiously _not_ being said aloud. Steve managed to toss Clint over his shoulder yet again, and the archer laid there, winded for a few minutes. When he eventually sat up, he spoke, addressing both of them.

"What do you guys really think about Loki's story earlier? Ancient gods and demons? I don't believe a word that guy says but... I guess I'm not the most impartial judge."

Steve looked at the floor for a minute. What _did_ he think? He had obviously been raised attending church, and learning the Bible, but, that said, the existence of Thor and Loki alone disproved a lot of it...and even in the Bible, there were several accounts of demonic possession. Who knew whether or not any of it had been based on fact? He couldn't come to a satisfactory conclusion, so elected not to speak.

Natasha made a point of putting her guns away, buying herself time to think before speaking.

"Clint, you know I haven't had a lot of time to be religious, given my past. I don't believe in any one religion, so I can't not believe anything that is suggested. One thing I do know though: the Asgardians know a lot more about the universe than us. If their entire race believes in these god-like beings... I don't think it can be entirely fictitious. Besides, didn't Loki say Thor's descended from one of them?"

There was silence as the two men digested her words. Natasha herself frowned. She meant every word she had said, but if it was in fact true...where did that leave humanity, and their views on evolution and the world's history? So many theories would be called into question if this came to light...

"What does that make us then? Humans, I mean?" Steve queried softly. "Loki, in the Chitauri incident, referred to us as insects from the point of view of Asgardians. If these Elder Gods are powerful enough to frighten beings like _them_... " The thought was too disturbing to complete. Even Natasha almost-permanent stoic expression faltered, though only for a second. Natasha Romanoff _never_ showed fear.

The silence was broken by Tony striding into the gym. He glanced around, perturbed.

"Why does everyone look so serious?" He blinked when nobody responded. "Okaaay... I'll leave you three to it then. Thor or Bruce will be back soon, maybe I can have a cheerful conversation with one of them." He shrugged, and began to walk away.

"Tony?" Pepper's worried voice came transmitted through Jarvis. "All of you had better come upstairs. We have a problem."

The announcement quickly broke the tension, and the gathered Avengers quickly made their way to Tony and Pepper's living quarters.

"Pepper? What's going on?" Tony looked around anxiously when he realised she wasn't in sight. She walked round the corner quickly, looking flustered, and accompanied by Thor.

Tony blinked. "When did Goldilocks get back?"

Thor looked somewhat confused at being referred to like that, but responded anyway.

"I returned just a few minutes ago. I have learned some worrying things. I need to speak privately with Wanda Maximoff, immediately."

"That's the problem I was about to explain." Pepper interjected quickly. "According to Jarvis, Wanda's not in the tower, but he doesn't remember her leaving."

Clint, Steve and Natasha exchanged alarmed looks. Tony blinked. "Could be a glitch in his system..." He pulled a Phillips screwdriver from his back pocket and walked over to the nearest console to take a look.

Clint's expression darkened suddenly. Natasha guessed what he was thinking, and spoke first.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Agent Romanoff?"

"Is Loki still within Stark Tower?"

There was a brief pause.

"No," the AI reported. "My recordings show his last movements several hours ago. He entered Miss Maximoff's room, and then, somehow, they both vanished from the cameras. I did detect a flux of unknown energy at that time however."

"Magic." Thor stated throught gritted teeth. "One of them cast some kind of concealment spell before they left." He couldn't believe Loki had done something this foolish, he had thought his brother learned his lesson about meddling with Elder Gods long ago. Unless... Thor shivered at the implication, unless Chthon had been the one to do this. But why would he kidnap Loki? What purpose could that possibly serve?

He forced his attention back to his mortal team-mates, once he realised they were discussing this situation. Barton seemed to firmly believe that Loki was responsible for the whole thing, and that Wanda was in danger. The majority of the Avengers unfortunately seemed to agree. Thor sighed. Now he would have to tell them the story that he had wanted to tell Wanda herself first. He only hoped this delay was not a mistake- the young woman had to be found, and soon.

"My friends... I understand that it is easiest for you to accuse Loki of all wrongdoing in this, but there is something else you should know."

He waited until all the debating had ceased, and all eyes were on him, before continuing.

"I told you earlier that I was going to make enquiries of someone else I knew," he decided not to mention that he had asked his birth mother for help, it was hardly a mature thing to do, "to see if she had any knowledge of what could be wrong with Wanda Maximoff. It appears that there is a high possibility of Loki's accusation of possession being true, though the woman herself is not to blame."

"I don't buy it." Clint said stubbornly, folding his arms. Tony nodded his agreement with that statement. _Possession?_ _Ridiculous_.

"Honestly, Thor, I'm having a hard time accepting that too." Steve sighed. "And even if it is true, I don't see what that has to do with Wanda's- or Loki's- disappearance."

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "I don't see a connection either, unless you're saying that this demon, for lack of a better word, that possessed Wanda, has kidnapped Loki?"

Thor nodded gravely. "I fear that is exactly what has happened, though I do not know for certain, and will not, until we find them."

Clint snorted. "And what will we do if it turns out I'm right and Loki is responsible for all this?"

Thor opened his mouth to retort sharply, but Steve stepped between them almost immediately. He raised his hands palm first, in a peaceful gesture.

"Calm down, both of you. The least we can do is go and look for them. I'll admit Thor's story still seems far-fetched, but we won't learn anything by standing around fighting. Let's suit up, find Wanda and Loki, and then-"

An incredibly loud crash downstairs cut Steve off. Once the building stopped shaking, Tony rushed down to the foyer to find out what the heck had happened, Pepper and the other Avengers two seconds behind him.

The Hulk lay in the wreckage of what had been the tower doors and three-quarters of the wall. A crowd of Stark Industries employees and curious bystanders had gathered around him, gawking.

Pepper began clearing the crowds away, while the Avengers approached the Hulk cautiously.

"What could knock _him_ unconscious?" Steve's voice was uneasy.

"I don't know, I never thought anything could." Tony took a couple of steps closer, warily. "Bruce?"

The green behomoth groaned in a guttural voice, and stirred. Everyone took two steps back automatically. Gradually, the Hulk reverted to Bruce, and he opened his eyes slowly.

He looked blearily around at his team.

"Well, at least I'm not dead..." His voice was weak, and pained.

"Yet."

The unknown, menacing voice made the whole team look up. A seven foot tall, armour-clad purple skinned being walked casually over the debris and faced the Avengers.

"So this is the team that defeated a legion of my Chitauri." He looked around disdainfully. "I had expected more."

Steve wasn't too keen on facing a being that had seemingly defeated the Hulk, but he stood up bravely, Thor and Tony right behind him.

"I don't know who you think you are," he began, "but-"

The alien flung out an arm without warning, sending Steve flying twenty feet in the opposite direction. He landed on his own arm, and there was a sickening crack. Steve groaned in pain.

"I have no time to waste conversing with pathetic _humans."_ the alien being sneered, then addressed Thor.

"I am the Titan Thanos, as I am sure you are aware, and I have come to this pathetic planet for one reason only. Your brother made a pact with us, a pact he has failed to keep. He must pay the price for his failures."

Thanos produced a strange pale grey stone. "This will darken a little each day that you fail to deliver the Jotun to me. If it turns utterly black...your chance to acquiesce peacefully will have passed, and the full might of my Chitauri will raze Earth to the ground. I suggest you choose quickly. This will be your only warning."

Thor lunged at the Titan with a roar of defiance, and was instantly surrounded by vivid blue energy. He hung suspended in mid-air, unable to move or breathe.

Clint had fired an arrow at Thanos before anyone could stop him. The Titan caught it in mid-flight, and snapped it in half, laughing mockingly at Clint.

"Attacking me will change nothing." Thanos sounded almost bored. He returned his gaze to Thor. "You must choose, Asgardian. the Jotun... or the world." He released Thor, who dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Thanos walked away calmly, as though he had been delivering a newspaper, not a death threat, and vanished in a brilliant glare of the same blue light.

Thor climbed to his feet awkwardly. He glowered after the Titan- how dare this alien threaten his brother in this way? Tony had helped Bruce to his feet, then let him lean on him as they limped over to Steve.

"Broken arm." Bruce announced after a quick examination. Steve managed to get to his feet, though he was unsteady. He looked at Bruce.

"What happened, anyway? Did he just appear out of nowhere and attack you?"

"Pretty much. He addressed me as 'Hulk' before I transformed, so evidently he knew who I was, then hit me with a blast of that energy. I Hulked, and he just kept blasting me until I collapsed. I guess he threw me through the doors..."

The idea of Thanos being that strong didn't sit well with any of them. Tony picked up the grey stone from the floor. He examined it, then glanced around at his team.

"What're we going to do now? We've got an incredibly powerful alien right here in New York, a deadline to hand over Loki, or we face another Chitauri army, Loki's AWOL and we still have no idea where our newest Avenger is, or whether or not she can be trusted! Unless I've missed something, this cannot possibly get worse."

Loki appeared in a flash of light, directly in front of them, accompanied by an attractive blonde woman in a dark green dress. She looked around with a slightly confused expression, but relief crossed her face when she saw Thor.

Tony groaned. "Does this make things easier, or a helluva lot worse?"

"What are you blathering about now, Stark?" Loki sounded annoyed. He surveyed the damage to Stark Tower, then glanced at Bruce. "Did the monster come out to play again?"

Thor grabbed his brother by the front of his shirt. He was getting increasingly worried. This was a dangerous place for Loki to be now, after Thanos' threats, moreover, Loki had said Sigyn was held captive by Chthon's avatar, yet if she was here, with Loki...

"What have you done, Brother? Where is Wanda Maximoff?"

Loki grit his teeth, pushing Thor away. He had done what was right, but Thor would never understand that, so he would have to lie.

"I have no idea. I left the tower to retrieve Sigyn safely," he put his arm around his childhood friend, "and I meant to take her back to Asgard, but for some reason, all the portals that lead away from Midgard are not working." He had no idea why that was, and it worried him. It was as if something didn't want anyone leaving- or reaching- earth...

"Then how do you explain the fact that Jarvis' feeds show you entering her room, _both_ of you disappearing, and that being the last time anybody saw her?" Clint demanded.

"How am I supposed to know what runs in the tiny minds of you mortals? I went to her because I thought she could help me find Sigyn. What happened to her after that is of no concern to me. But if she has fled, that is perhaps the only saving grace of the situation, seeing as she was Chthon's vessel-"

"Chthon?" Sigyn interrupted. She pulled away from Loki, her eyes widening. "What did you do?"

Loki was startled at the question. Even Sigyn? It shouldn't have surprised him, but it hurt. "I didn't- Sigyn, I swear, I did nothing-"

"Why did you return to the tower?" Thor said, grabbing Loki again. Loki pushed him off.

"As I said, the portals to and from Midgard are blocked, and that bodes ill. This was the only place I thought Sigyn would be safe-"

Tony spoke up again. "Look, I'm glad you brought a friend to the party, Loki, but this probably isn't the best time for you to be here." He held up the grey stone.

Loki's face paled. "Where did you get that, Stark?"

Natasha watched Loki closely. "An old acquaintance of yours dropped by. Gave the Hulk a good beating, and threatened war on earth if you weren't handed over to him by the time that stone turns black.

Loki looked utterly panicked. He glanced desperately at Thor, his breathing become ragged as his heart beat frantically. Surely his 'brother' would not let Thanos take him? He had barely survived last time! Thor met Loki's eyes, and, reading the fear in them, shook his head reassuringly.

"Never, Brother, fear not." Thor's voice was low enough that only Loki heard it. He sighed in relief.

Sigyn had been looking around in utter confusion- she had only understood about one third of the conversation. Loki was involved with Chthon once again? And who was the 'acquaintance' the red-headed woman had referred to? Her gaze returned to Thor.

"Will you please explain what is going on here? Who are all these people?" She gestured at the gathered Avengers.

Thor gave her a swift version of events- naming each Avenger and explaining the situation with Thanos.

"And, assuming what Loki says is true," he concluded solemnly, "there is no way for you two to simply leave Midgard, nor can we expect aid from Asgard." Thoughts of the possibly-possessed Wanda Maximoff were not far from his mind, but he kept them to himself. Their luck could not possibly be _that_ terrible.

Steve shook his head in disbelief- so much had happened that day! The fact that he was in pain did not help. "Can I suggest we all take a breather, and regroup when everyone's calmer?"

Natasha scowled. "Do we really have time to waste?"

Clint was inclined to agree with her, but, glancing around, he realised that Steve and Banner still needed medical help, and their problems would still be there in an hour or so.

"Tasha, we should alert Shield about everything anyway. Maybe they can provide backup in case Thanos does make a move."

"Alright." Natasha conceded that her partner had a good point, and also remembered that Steve, at least, needed a doctor.

"And I don't know about everyone else, but I need a drink!" Tony announced. "Meet everyone in the conference room in about two hours?"

Steve glared at him. "Don't show up for a meeting _drunk,_ Stark, or so help me..."

"Listen, Cap, it'd take about seven hours for me to drink enough alcohol to be considered 'drunk'. See you all later!" he sauntered off, no doubt heading for his mini-bar. Pepper followed him with a long-suffering sigh.

"I'll keep an eye on him. Thor, if you want to take Loki back to his room? And," she smiled warmly at Sigyn, "your friend can stay in the one down the hall from it."

Thor and Sigyn murmured their thanks, Loki glowered, and Pepper hastily followed Tony before he did anything reckless. The three Asgardians made their way to their rooms, becoming lost in conversation as they walked.

Natasha and Clint helped Steve and Bruce to the infirmary, and while Clint helped tend their wounds, Natasha called Coulson, and gave as full a version of recent events as she was able. Coulson sounded shell-shocked by all the revelations, but promised aid if and only if Thanos made a hostile mood towards Earth. Natasha hung up with a stifled sigh, knowing that was the best she could hope for. She certainly would not be telling Thor that Fury wanted them to surrender Loki!

Thor, Loki and Sigyn were exchanging stories of recent events. Thor was more inclined to believe that Loki knew nothing of Wanda's whereabouts, as Sigyn denied seeing anyone but the Other and Loki himself in Wundagore's caves. It did not make him feel any more at ease though, knowing that a mortal who had been marked by Chthon at birth had disappeared without a trace, so close to Chthon's place of power... still, for now, Thanos was the bigger threat, and Wanda could be tracked down once the Titan was dealt with.

**~Transia, Wundagore Mountain ~**

The mountain was glowing. Rational-minded people would claim it was an effect of the sunset, making the stone _appear_ to glow. They would be wrong. A red-clad figure levitated several feet above the highest peak of the mountain, surrounded by the same red light.

Chthon glanced around. From this vantage point, he could see for miles, even with the limited eyesight of his human host. By concentrating, he could send his consciousness anywhere upon the earth, and see clearly what was happening there.

In the human city of New York, the 'Avengers' were discussing Thanos. Chthon laughed to himself. '_So my pawn plays his role after all, even without the Other's prompting!'_ It was deliciously ironic: he would face little to no opposition as he reclaimed Earth, because even the Asgardians, who should know better, assumed Thanos was the larger threat! They would soon learn the price for their presumption. The portals leading to Earth from the higher realms had been sealed, Chthon himself had seen to that. He smiled smugly. Now was the time... He concentrated, summoning more of his power into his female host body, and sending it out in a glorious wave, letting Chaos begin to engulf the Earth.

Blood fell as rain from the skies of America.

Inland lakes began to boil in England, Wales and Scotland.

Wild animals that had been kept in 'zoos' began transforming into scaled and armoured demons.

N'Garai portals emerged throughout Canada- Chthon's children were returning!

The whole landmass known as British Columbia became unstable, as the entire continient was swept up in a violent earthquake.

Every river in Asia dried up.

Huge masses of ice began to shift at both the world's poles, causing enormous floods.

Chthon watched all this happen in his mind's eye. And laughed.

_To be continued..._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything!_

**Warning: One scene of gore at the end of this chapter. Character death.**

"I was returning home after spending a few days with my mother," Sigyn was explaining to Thor and Loki how she came to be captured by The Other. "It was quite late in the day, but I was in no real hurry to return to an empty house, since Theoric died..." She bowed her head, taking a steadying breath before continuing.

"I was walking through the marketplace when I saw you," she glanced at Loki, "or rather, what I thought was you... I had heard that you were under house arrest in the palace, so I was confused, and so followed when you, or he, I suppose, beckoned. As soon as we were out of the public eye, The Other cast aside his disguise. I would have run, but he had hold of me too quickly. He was far stronger than I would have expected. I was unconscious after the first blow. The next thing I remember is waking up in the caves on Midgard. All the creature ever told me was I was being held for surety, to make certain Loki did not interfere with some kind of plan."

Sigyn shuddered before continuing. "I do not know how long I was there, I had no way of marking time. The Other beat me several times. Eventually, he drew a knife, the like of which I have never seen. Thankfully, Loki intervened just in time." She smiled warmly at her childhood friend before returning her gaze to Thor. "The rest you know." The thunder god nodded solemnly.

The Asgardians were gathered in Thor's room, with Thor himself seated on the large bed, Sigyn perched on the soft desk chair, and Loki sprawled on the carpet, making it clear that he did not want to sit near Thor. The dark-haired trickster had sat there in silence for almost an hour, contributing nothing to the conversation. Thor eyed him suspiciously. Loki himself had admitted that he had enlisted Wanda Maximoff's help to find Sigyn, and yet claimed to have no idea where she was now.

Given his brother's recent behaviour, Thor was far from sure about Loki's honesty. He opened his mouth to press for details about what Loki had been up to before retrieving Sigyn, when an incredibly violent surge of..._something_ struck him. He reeled as if from a blow, trying not to black out. Sigyn gasped sharply and swayed, grasping the edge of the desk for support. Loki's reaction was the most alarming- he actually collapsed sideways, blood streaming from his nose as he clutched his head in pain.

"W-what was that?" Sigyn's voice was shaky, weak, and her face was pale.

Thor was too busy trying to recover his equilibrium to respond. Loki's face was full of foreboding as he wiped the trickle of blood from his face..

"Magic. Dark magic, cascading over the whole of Midgard."

Thor finally managed to regain his balance, and locked his eyes on Loki's.

"Not simply dark energy...chthonic magic." Keeping his intense gaze on his brother, noting every gesture Loki made, he asked the question that had been worrying him for hours.

"Did Wanda Maximoff accompany you to Wundagore? I need honesty now, Loki, this is extremely important."

"Don't you think I know how important this is?" Loki snapped. He tried to push himself to his feet but collapsed sideways again as his nose renewed spurting blood over the carpet. "I told you, I have no idea where Miss Maximoff is!"

"You're lying," Sigyn said, holding her head in her hands. "What did you do?"

She and Thor waited silently for Loki's response. The dark-haired god folded his arms and turned his face away, nowhere near willing to disclose his role in Maximoff's fate. He had done what was best, and Thor had to be mistaken, it was _not_ Chthonic energy that had caused the power surge, it had to be Thanos' doing somehow...

Thor gritted his teeth, trying to restrain his temper. "Loki, if you did indeed do something that could have caused this, I suggest you tell me," he hefted Mjolnir, "before I have to resort to other means of persuasion."

Sigyn gasped. "Thor...you would not really...you'll kill him!"

Thor did not get a chance to respond, as Loki, with blood still pouring unchecked down his face, staggered to his feet, making his way to the door.

"I'm not...stay...be threatened." His voice was slurred, and his statement barely understandable.

"Loki..."

He collapsed, still bleeding out nasally, before he made it another stride. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he did not get back up.

"LOKI!" Thor and Sigyn rushed to his side, examining him anxiously.

"He must have received more damage than we realised, when the magic flared up." Sigyn's voice broke. "Do you know of any healers on Midgard?"

"None that are really equipped to deal with an Asgardian, except..." Thor shook his head. "We will have to hand him into Shield's custody, little though I like the idea." He scooped up Loki's long, lean form into his arms and strode out of the room, Sigyn hurrying after him, hiding her concern. _'Who is Shield?'_

She did not have a chance to ask Thor, he was walking quickly, and it took all her energy to match his pace- he was considerably taller than her, and thus his strides were longer. She was throughly out of breath by the time they reached Stark's living area.

Tony and Pepper had been lounging on the sofa, deep in conversation, but both jumped to their feet when they saw the Asgardians.

Tony raised an eyebrow as he took in Loki's condition.

"Got tired of him mouthing off, did you? Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Pepper had smacked him.

The strawberry blonde glared at Tony for a minute, before turning worried eyes to Thor.

"What happened?"

"A few moments ago, we all sensed an enormous surge of magical energy. It was...unpleasant. Loki seems to have been affected more strongly than Sigyn and I were. I know you do not have healers here in this tower, Stark," Thor turned entreating eyes to Tony, "I had hoped you knew a way to contact Nicholas Fury. Surely his agency has those who could treat an Asgardian?"

Tony rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "Well, yeah, Shield's doctors probably could treat him, I'm just not sure Fury'll go for it. This guy did try to conquer earth not long ago. I'll go get Clint and Natasha, see if they can persuade him."

Thor nodded gravely as Tony left the room. He frowned suddenly, and turned to Pepper, who had placed a reassuring hand on Sigyn's shoulder.

"Why did he not just ask the Jarvis computer to send for Barton and Romanoff?"

Pepper's brow furrowed. "Jarvis is down, has been for a few minutes." Her eyes widened. "Could your 'magical energy' surge have caused that?"

"Possibly...I do not know what effect magic could have on Midgardian technology."

"Unnngghh..." Loki's incoherent groan brought everyone's attention sharply back to him, but he did not move again. Blood still flowed liberally, so Sigyn tore a piece of fabric from her sleeve and attempted to staunch it. Her efforts did little good.

Tony returned quickly, Natasha, Clint, Steve and Bruce trailing after him. Natasha was the first to speak.

"What's going on, Thor? Stark says you actually _want_ to hand Loki over to Shield now...whoa." Her eyes widened as she saw Loki's gaunt, bloodstained face and unconscious form. "I guess he needs intense medical help?"

Thor nodded, explaining the cause of Loki's injuries while the other Avengers dealt with their shocked reactions to Loki's condition. He did not actually explain that the magic he had felt emenated from Chthon, as he felt his mortal comrades had enough problems at present. He would inform them of that as soon as it became necessary.

Bruce did an immediate check on Loki- breathing, heart rate, pupil response... He spoke calmly and slowly. "He appears to have suffered a bleed to the brain, and from what I can tell, it's ongoing. He's in a deep coma. Vitals are consistent, but weak. I don't know how long he has. He needs help, _fast!"_

Thor looked ready to hit something. Sigyn's hands flew to her mouth. Steve, Tony and Pepper exchanged concerned looks- Loki might not be their favourite person in the world, but they couldn't let him die... Natasha phoned Fury despite Clint's protest- "We should just let this monster die!". She explained, then listened for a minute before sighing.

"Fury wants to hear from Banner how bad Loki's injuries are, if they honestly need Shield's intensive care. He would... prefer it if Loki stayed where he is." She handed Bruce her cell. He began to bring it to his ear, then, seeing the murderous looks on Thor and Sigyn's faces, he put the phone on speaker.

"Director Fury?" Bruce endeavoured to keep his tone even- he didn't particularly trust Fury, but in this instance, he had to stay on his good side. Loki needed more care than he could provide.

"How seriously is 'Real Power' injured?" Fury's voice was impatient. "We're getting reports of casualties from across the globe and our resources are going to be stretched thin. Medical attention will be given only where it is desperately needed."

"It's needed, director," Bruce said firmly. Loki had begun to convulse. Bruce quickly moved, dropping the cell phone and placing a hand under Loki's head, keeping him upright so he could breathe, and so he didn't swallow his own tongue.

Steve grabbed the phone, and spoke fast. "Director, Loki has apparently suffered some kind of brain damage, is comatose and is currently having a seizure. I think that qualifies as an emergency!"

"Barton? Romanoff? Is that true?"

"Yes, sir. We're watching it happen right now."

"I'm not convinced that saving Loki is in the best interest of protecting earth..."

Thor had heard enough. "And I am not sure that working with a group of mortals that will not aid my family is in _my_ best interest!"

Fury sighed audibly. "Alright. Bring him to the New York facility. I'll make sure at least one neurosurgeon is there. That good enough?" He disconnected the call without waiting for a response.

Thor took a deep breath, plainly not happy, but satisfied that Loki would receive aid, at least.

Sigyn was less sure. "Am I the only one who sees a problem with this arrangement?"

Everyone stared, unsure what the Asgardian woman meant- Loki was getting help, wasn't he?

"Is it wise to leave Loki in the hands of mortals when we do not know how long we have before this... 'Thanos' returns?"

Thor scowled. "I truly had not thought of that... but I see no other way. Perhaps we should arrange for one of us to remain at Loki's side?"

Steve nodded. "That's a good idea. He shouldn't be alone. We can arrange a rota, take it in turns..."

Clint folded his arms, looking defiant. "I'm not playing bodyguard for _him._ Besides, aren't any of you worried about what Fury said: 'Casualties around the globe'? That should be our main priority, dealing with an actual crisis!"

Bruce and Steve leapt in front of Thor before Mjolnir answered Clint. Steve raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"I'll admit you have a point, Clint, but Loki can't be left unguarded." He looked at the two Shield agents. "Do either of you know what might be causing these global problems?"

Clint shook his head. "Haven't heard anything."

"Neither have I..." Natasha's tone was thoughtful. "I'm wondering if this is Thanos' doing somehow, a ploy to occupy us, get us to leave Loki alone..."

"Or it's something to do with the magical energy surge that put Loki in this state in the first place."

Everyone except Thor and Sigyn gave Bruce sceptical looks.

"What? I'm a scientist, I have to try and think of every possibility."

"I had the same thought, friend Banner. I hope I am mistaken though, for the magic that influenced Midgard not long ago was dark in nature...evil." Thor's usually jovial voice was dark as thunderclouds. Again he thought it best to avoid mentioning Chthon, or Wanda- he wanted to know more about what had happened before he jumped to any conclusions.

Tony shook his head. "Cause of disasters put aside, some of us should go and find out if we can help. I personally don't like the idea of going into a unknown, potentially dangerous situation short one team member. Plus we don't know how easy it'll be to get people back here to play changing of the guard. If we leave someone behind, that someone will be with Loki the entire time. Volunteers?" His tone was sarcastic.

"I will stay with Loki."

Seven pairs of wide eyes locked on Sigyn. She continued determinedly.

"Loki needs to be watched over, yet all of you may be required to rescue mortals from danger. I am not a warrior, nor am I a member of your 'team'. It is best if I remain with Loki."

"The one problem with that," Natasha began, "is that, like you said, you're not a warrior. Could you defend Loki if Thanos were to re-appear?"

Sigyn's irritation was clear in her voice. "I am one of the strongest magic wielders in Asgard. I was taught by Loki himself. I am fairly certain I can hold my own against a non-magical foe!"

Thor broke the tension.

"Very well then, that is settled. Stark, do you have a way for us to transport Loki and Sigyn to Shield's base of operations? I presume you two," he gestured at Clint and Natasha, "are aware of the base's location?"

"Even if we didn't, I'm fairly certain Tony does, with all the hacking he's done."

Tony placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me! Bring Loki and follow me," he winked at Sigyn, "your transportation awaits!"

Everyone followed Tony into the hangar (Thor carrying Loki as gently as he could.) The Avengers decided to accompany Loki and Sigyn to the Shield HQ, to make sure Loki would be safe there, from Thanos and from Shield itself, and also all hoping to find out more about these world-wide catastrophes.

Pepper remained safely at the tower as the quinjet departed, already feeling a nagging concern for all of them, as she often did. It was hard being the only one who couldn't fight...she sighed and made her way back indoors, to see if Jarvis was 'awake' again yet. She made her way to her office, never noticing the grey stone- Thanos' 'gift'- that had been left behind, forgotten. It was the colour of granite now, and getting darker...

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Upon arrival at the NY Shield base, a still-unresponsive Loki was taken straight to the hospital wing. Bruce told the doctors all he had determined about Loki's condition, and Sigyn and Thor insisted on staying with him, to make sure he was alright, or as alright as he could be. Clint and Natasha were briefing the security team of the base about Thanos, and what abilities he had already shown. They made sure that the base- and specifically the people who worked in the hospital- were aware of a possible imminent attack. This of course left Steve and Tony with nothing to do...

"Aha!" Tony's exclamation made Steve jump.

"What?"

"Jarvis is fully functional again. Now it's just a question of...got it!"

"Got what?" Steve was getting annoyed now, something that happened far too often when he was in Stark's company. He was worried about Loki, about Thor, about the hundreds of people that apparently were suffering from unexplained freak accidents all over the world, he couldn't forget that his newest teammate was still MIA, and all Stark wanted to do was fidget with his _computer?!_

"I've got a list of all unexplained activity in the last 24 hours. Huh. That means it must've started just before Loki got back to the tower with Sigyn...hey, that's weird..."

"What's. Weird?" Steve's words came through clenched teeth. If Stark didn't stop talking in riddles soon, he was _really_ going to lose his temper.

"All this stuff is weird- animals turning into monsters, flash floods, weird reptillian creatures tearing up Canada, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes...eww, a rain of blood? What I meant was, the whole world's engulfed in these freak accidents, except for one place- Mount Wundagore in Transia hasn't been affected at all. Nor has the surrounding area..." Tony met Steve's eyes.

Steve made the connection. "Wundagore...isn't that where Loki and Wanda went, to find Sigyn?"

"Yeah. And I bet we'll find Wanda there. Or at least some clue about what Loki might've done with her. I'd bet he traded her for Sigyn's freedom or something. Gave Thanos's servant another hostage."

"Tony..." Steve spoke cautiously. "Have you even considered that Loki might have been right? Wanda told me she hated Wundagore, she was afraid of it even. She goes back there with Loki, disappears, then almost straight away, disasters start occuring? Do you think...is it possible that this thing, this...demon, could have actually possessed her?"

"Possession? _Please!_ No way. My point is, we go out there, to Wundagore, because whatever's causing all this is probably hiding in the safe zone, and deal with it right now. Problem solved, since I think this Thanos guy is the culprit, and with a bit of luck, we'll rescue Wanda too."

"I hope you're right, Tony." Steve sighed, going to gather the other Avengers. _'I hope you're right...because none of us are prepared to deal with the consequences if Loki's right about this 'Chthon'...'_

Less than ten minutes later, the Quinjet took to the air again, heading towards Eastern Europe. Most of the team bought Tony's theory. They settled in for a long flight, confident that this would all be over soon. Shield would have to remain in control of the global situations for as long as they could while the Avengers dealt with the main problem.

Only Thor seemed disquieted. Stark's discovery that Wundagore lay at the heart of this only strengthened his fear that Chthon, not Thanos, was the puppeteer behind this performance. And with Maximoff still unaccounted for... well, the truth would come out soon enough, once they arrived. He just hoped that he and his mortal allies were enough to face down whatever they encountered in Wundagore...

_**~3 days later, New York Shield HQ~**_

Loki groaned. _'My head has not hurt this much since I had my first hangover. What the Hel happened?'_ He opened his eyes, only to clamp then shut again tightly- the glare of the electric lights made his head pound even more. Where was he?

"Loki? You're awake!"

Was that Sigyn's voice? He squinted, trying to work out if she was truly there, or if the pain was making him delirious.

"Hold on, I will dim the lights. There."

Loki managed to open his eyes, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the dimmer light. He turned his head minutely, and realised that Sigyn was seated beside him. She looked exhausted, as if she had not slept in days, and her eyes were red.

"What happened?" His voice was a hoarse rasp.

Sigyn smiled shakily, but there was no joy in it. "You passed out while in the mortal Stark's home. It appears you suffered considerable damage when you sensed the magic surge. You were brought here to be cared for. I have not left your side for days, I was that worried about you."

Loki struggled to process all this.

"Where is here? And you have been at my side for _days_? How long have I been unconscious?"

"Three days, almost four. And we are in a Shield secure facility." Sigyn felt strange, using the modern language and terms, but that was how Thor had referred to this place.

"Shield facility?!" Loki swung his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to stand. "I am not staying here!" His attempt to move forcibly pulled out several drips, and alarms began to blare. A wave of dizziness overcame him, and he collapsed back onto the bed.

Sigyn encouraged him to lie back down as several nurses came in to investigate the cause of the alarms. Once Loki was settled back in bed, with the drips and heart monitor replaced, the nurses left. Sigyn took his hand. His expression was stubborn and petulant.

"Loki, you are not strong enough to move yet." She took a deep breath. "For a while, everyone believed you would perish from your injuries. Please, just stay here and recover?" Her voice broke, and tears gleamed in her eyes.

Loki sat back with a huff of discontentment.

"Very well, I will remain here for a while. For _your_ sake, no-one else's." He looked around quizzically. "Where is Thor? I would have expected him to be here as well, imploring his 'brother' not to die."

If Sigyn noticed the sarcasm in his words, she didn't show it. She looked at the floor, twisting her hands together nervously.

"Thor and his mortal friends were here for a while. Once they were convinced that you were in safe hands, they left to try and help stop the disasters that are apparently occuring all over Midgard."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Disasters?"

Sigyn explained what she had heard from Stark, about the strange events, and his conclusion that Wundagore was the only place not affected.

"So they made their way there to see if they could find some answers, and- Loki, whatever is wrong? Are you in pain?"

He had gone as white as a sheet, and he didn't meet her eyes as he spoke.

"Sigyn, I-I may not have been entirely honest about what happened when I rescued you. What's happening now may be my fault. I know I said I knew nothing of the mortal girl's whereabouts..."

Sigyn put her head in her hands, sighing.

"What have you done now?"

"I only did what I thought best! The girl was infected with Chthon's power. I sought only to deny him a host. You know as well as I that, theoretically, only a living form can be possessed, so-"

"You killed the girl?!" Sigyn leapt to her feet, eyes wide, and backed away from him. "Took the life of an innocent because of something that _might_ one day happen?!"

"I did it to stop Chthon!"

Sigyn shook her head in disbelief. "And now we hear reports of demonic activity all over the world? After we sense an incredibly powerful energy surge that Thor claimed was chthonic? Don't you understand, you have quite possibly only made things worse! Why didn't you tell one of us before now?"

"Sigyn...I..." Loki realised that he had no defense.

She made her way to the door of the room. "I will be waiting outside. I have no desire to speak to you right now." The door swung shut behind her with a definitive thud. Loki stared at the closed door for some time. Why did no-one ever understand that he only did what was best?

Outside, Sigyn leaned back against the wall, and sighed. She couldn't understand what had happened to Loki. The boy she had befriended in childhood had been nothing like the monster in that room. How could he have changed so much? She was lost in despondent thoughts for some time, but gradually she became aware that people were moving around rapidly, carrying mortal weapons and taking up defensive positions around the base. She grasped the shoulder of the nearest human.

"What is happening?"

"We detected a portal openning less than a mile away fifteen minutes ago. At least two hundred Chitauri, and Thanos, are making their way here now. We've sent word to the Avengers, but it'll take time for them to get back here. I recommend you stay with Loki- from what I've heard, he's in no shape to defend himself."

Sigyn nodded, turning and bursting back into Loki's room, using a spell to seal the door behind her.

"Back so soon?" Loki's voice was scathing, but his attitude faltered when he saw her expression. "What is it?"

She turned frightened but determined eyes to him. "Thanos and an army of his creatures are making their way here now."

Loki's stomach heaved. He wanted to pass out from fright. The idea of facing the Titan again... He shuddered involuntarily. Sigyn noticed. "Thanos will have to kill me to get to you." Her voice was resolute.

That did not make Loki feel any better, because Thanos _would_ kill her, if that was what it took to regain his prize. Bile rose again in Loki's throat at the thought of something happening to Sigyn.

They waited in silence, the sounds of gunfire and cries of pain echoing through the closed door, coming ever closer. Loki fought the urge to tremble- he would _not_ show fear!

The sounds of battle were now right outside the door. Sigyn began chanting softly, setting a protective barrier in front of Loki. The door exploded, several mortal corpses flying through it. A number of Chitauri formed lines on either side of the door, almost like an honour guard...

Loki backed up as far as he could, huddling against the wall. Sigyn fought her rising fear- if Thanos could frighten Loki like this... how dangerous _was_ he?

The huge, burgundy skinned figure loomed in the doorway, sneering at the room's occupants.

"Jotun runt...are you truly so pathetic, that you rely on a woman to protect you?" He took a swaggering step into the room, sure that Sigyn could not stop him.

She cast a bolt of magical energy at the Titan, and he staggered. He turned his full attention to her, but his expression was more amused than angry.

"That was actually somewhat painful...but I have dealt with far worse." He took a step towards her. "You have spirit though. Perhaps I should take you instead of the runt? Breaking you would be _much_ more enjoyable, I'm sure..."

"No!" Loki dragged himself to his feet, yanking out the mortal healing devices again. His eyes were wild. "I will go with you willingly! Just leave her out of it!"

Thanos laughed, the sound almost deafening. "So this one means something to you, Runt? Your offer has convinced me. I will take both of you! You can be together, and comfort each other after my...lessons to you both."

Loki and Sigyn both paled. Loki lunged at Thanos, surprising the Titan. He used all his strength to restrain Thanos, keep the madman's attention on him.

"Sigyn, run!" He could only give her a few seconds, why didn't she move?

Thanos managed to throw Loki to the floor, then seized him by the throat. The Chitauri that had lingered near the door had now surrounded Sigyn.

"That was foolish of you, Runt." Thanos' tone was threatening now. "Now I will have to make an example of you both."

He strode over to Sigyn, the Chitauri scattering as he approached, and grabbed her forcefully by the upper arm, laughing when she cried out in pain. she attempted to cast another spell, blasting energy at Thanos once again, but he merely swung Loki's helpless form in front of him, so that the Asgardian took the impact.

"No!" Sigyn screamed as Loki's body convulsed.

Thanos dragged Sigyn closer, even as she recoiled. He whispered in her ear.

"That was an entertaining way to deal with a problem. I may require you to discipline your lover for me in the future."

She spat on him. His expression darkened, and he backhanded her across the face. She almost fell to the floor, Thanos' regaining his painful grip on her being the only thing that prevented it. Pulling both his captives closer, he concentrated, and they vanished in a flash of blue light.

They re-appeared atop a building in New York. Sigyn had no idea which building it was. Loki was on the verge of passing out- Thanos' vice-like grip on his throat was diminishing his air supply. The Titan dropped them both unceremoniously on the hard surface of the roof, and Sigyn half-crawled over to Loki, praying he was not... no, she wouldn't even consider it. Thanos would not let him die so soon, that much she was sure of.

Thanos paid little attention to them, as he scanned the skies, looking for something. He smiled widely when his eyes fell on an approaching aircraft. Sigyn followed his gaze. It was the Avengers quinjet, moving at a speed faster than anything she had imagined possible. Thor, grasping Mjolnir, flew just in front of the jet.

Thanos began speaking, projecting his voice loud enough for the Avengers to hear.

"I have retrieved my property. And I have claimed another prize as compensation for my trouble. But you Avengers need have no fear- I have no further interest in Earth! I will gather the Chitauri, take what is mine and depart. None of us will ever darken your paths again."

The response to this was a lightning bolt to Thanos' chest, followed by the Quinjet aiming a machine gun at the Titan.

Thanos' grin only widened. "I expected such a response." Blue energy materialised around his massive hand, and he concentrated that energy towards the Quinjet.

The explosion caused severe damage to the aircraft, and it began plummeting towards the ground. Thor let out a roar of rage, and leapt at Thanos. They began trading blows, using fists, lightning and irridescent blue energy, and Sigyn struggled to drag Loki to the roof's edge, out of harm's way. She sighed with relief when she saw that the damaged Quinjet had landed safely, and the Avengers climbed out, shaken but unharmed. The trouble was they were now 30 storeys away from them, and a band of Chitauri- _where had they come from?-_ were keeping them occupied. Thor's cry of pain drew Sigyn's attention back to the fight.

Both combatants looked battered, but Thor was clearly in worse shape. Even as she watched, Thanos was raining blast after blast of blue energy on him, and Thor's face was contorted with pain.

She prepared to help, to attack Thanos herself, when Loki groaned, and stirred beside her. She hesitated, torn as to what she should do.

Thanos stood over a barely-conscious Thor triumphantly. His horrible, mocking laugh sounded again.

"The mightiest protectors of Earth, and look how easy they were to overcome! This world will be mine, and these 'heroes' will become my first scarifices to my Lady Death!" His maniacal laughter echoed for miles. Despair fell over Sigyn- what could she do against a being such as this, who seemed not to be affected by magic? She hung her head, feeling helpless.

Thanos regained control of his mirth, and feigned looking around.

"What? No others to dispute my claim to this world? Surely some other believes they have a claim to this mudball?" He burst into laughter again.

"Strange that you should ask..." A distorted, guttural voice that might once have been female sounded from a newly-appeared glow of crimson light. The light faded, revealing a young woman- or what appeared to be a young woman. Her skin was white as marble, as were her eyes, though a red light shone through them. Her garments were a dark red that seemed almost black. Her auburn hair writhed around her face like a living thing.

Thanos eyed the newcomer disdainfully. "And who exactly are you?"

The woman laughed. "I am the one you have unwittingly been serving for decades, fool!"

"I SERVE NO-ONE!" Thanos' face darkened with rage at this being's presumption.

"Oh, but you do." The being's voice sounded more female, more human, now. "It was my avatar that encouraged you to look to earth to begin with. You believed he served you, but The Other was my creation, and thus could only be loyal to me. I engineered all of this. When the Jotun prince failed, as I knew he would, you would come to earth yourself, and you very kindly took care of the 'Avengers' for me. Now there will be no-one to prevent me from reclaiming this world!"

Thanos' fury showed in his voice. "I will not be manipulated. Earth is now mine, and I will not allow some upstart to take it from me!" He lunged at the woman.

She caught him by the throat, and succeeded at lifting him from the floor with one arm.

"_Upstart_?" The voice did not sound remotely human anymore. Sigyn froze in horror- she had heard that voice before, centuries ago...

"Chthon?" Her voice was a whisper. Thor, who had managed to rise to a kneeling position, heard. He dragged his exhausted form over to his brother and Sigyn, determined to protect them, even though he could barely move. His worst fears had been realised- Wanda Maximoff was gone. Only Chthon remained.

The demon continued, heedless of the Asgardians' reaction, its whole attention on the Titan.

"I walked this world before your _ancestors_ were thought of, Titan. _I_ am the true ruler of this pathetic realm, and I have prepared for this day since the day of my exile, aeons ago. _You_ are merely a pawn I used to facilitate my return. But you have played your part well. I shall give you the reward you desire most..."

The demon's free hand shot forward, grasping Thanos' shoulder. The hand that had grasped the Titan's throat slid down to his other shoulder, and the demon's grip tightened.

Thanos screamed out in agony as every muscle in his neck and shoulders was stretched to its limits, and beyond...

"Give my regards to Death." The demon sneered. Her arms were stretched out fully, and with a little more tension...

Thanos was ripped asunder. Blood splattered everywhere. Thor retched at the sight. Sigyn screamed. Loki began to regain consciousness as Chthon casually dropped the grisly remains of Thanos, and turned his gaze to the Gods, smiling ominously.

"A pleasant enough pastime, dealing with him... now what fun shall I have with the three of you?"

_To be continued..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

_Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything._

The Hulk stepped on two of the Chitauri, crushing the skull of another in his huge fist (Bruce's injuries didn't seem to trouble his alter-ego). Repulsor blasts downed three more Chitauri that had been creeping up behind him. Hulk let out a warning growl at Tony for stealing his victims. Getting no response, he resumed smashing the aliens, grunting in satisfaction.

Natasha and Clint were working as a team as usual, his arrows keeping most of the Chitauri at bay, while she shot any that were stupid enough to come within range. He risked a sidelong grin at her.

"That's nine to me, Tasha."

She rolled her eyes, but smirked. "I'm on thirteen!"

Steve was having a harder time of it- fighting with a broken arm isn't easy. He mentally cursed Thanos as he was forced to hide behind his shield- he was outnumbered. He repelled their fire as best he could- most of their energy blasts riocheted off the vibranium shield, but he had to be careful to avoid inadvertantly hitting one of his team. The team's hastily-thought up strategy was working though- the Chitauri were almost all gone. As the last alien fell, Tony flew a few feet into the air, scouting for any more of them. He frowned under his helmet.

"Where are Goldilocks and the other Asgardians? Nice of them to come help!"

Clint scowled. "Loki's up there, isn't he? If he's tried something, while we've all been down here fighting these things..." He craned his neck, peering upwards with his eyes narrowed. "What the heck is that...?"

"What's what?" Natasha followed Clint's gaze, but her eyes weren't as sharp as his. She couldn't make anything out, nor, judging by the confused looks on Steve and Hulk's faces, could they.

"Can't see much...just weird flashes of light. Stark, you picking anything up?"

Tony rose to hover a few feet higher.

"I can't see anything...Jarvis, you picking anything up- WHOA!" He rocketed higher at his fastest speed, and was out of sight of almost everyone in a few seconds.

Steve looked at Clint, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you see what he's up to?"

"Something's falling fast, can't make out what..." Clint's voice was distracted as he watched. "Tony's caught whatever it is. He's heading back now."

"Stark, what is it?" Steve asked over the earpiece.

"It's a she," Tony replied, getting close enough for all the Avengers to see that it was Sigyn in his arms. As he got even closer they could see that she was bleeding, her arms around Tony's neck, looking upward. "And she's really upset."

"What's Loki doing?" Clint demanded immediately. "We have to get up there to help Thor."

Sigyn shook her head, struggling to speak despite the fact that she was in pain. "No...it isn't Loki... you have to take me back up there, he's going to kill them!"

Steve helped Tony set her down. "You're bleeding, we'll deal with Loki-"

"It's not Loki!" Sigyn shouted. "Chthon has taken over that girl."

"What did Loki do to her?" Clint asked with a snarl.

Sigyn paused for a moment and sighed. "It doesn't matter. Thor and Loki need help, we have to go back. Chthon's too strong-"

A flash of red light blinded them all. They shielded their eyes, and then a shockwave of power hit them. They were all thrown back, grunting with pain as they skidded across the pavement. Clint fared the worst, a roadrash ripping his arm raw. Luckily he had shielded his weapons from the trip and bow and arrows were intact.

He pushed himself to his feet as he saw that Thor and Loki had mysteriously joined them. Both were bleeding, though Loki was clearly in worse shape. The others followed his example, clambering or staggering to their feet with various grumbles of complaint.

Steve breathed heavily, trying to ease the pain he could feel in his ribs. He made eye contact with Sigyn, then looked at Thor and Loki. He didn't believe in this 'Chthon' but... _something_ had hurt the Asgardians, and they were plainly all injured and frightened. He turned to the rest of his team.

"Could it be that Wanda's lost control again, assuming she really is up there, and accidentally hurt these guys?" That, to Steve, seemed the most logical explanation. If Thor and the others really did believe in this ancient demon, they could easily have become convinced that something evil was at work when the only problem was a young woman with uncontrollable abilities...

Loki buried his head in his hands.

"What will it take to convince you humans of Chthon's existence?! The demon manifested while the human host was unconscious, I saw it with my own eyes! I led the girl with me to Wundagore, to find Sigyn, and forfeited her life to end Chthon's threat, yet still, he walks, having claimed her form... Thanos is dead at Chthon's hands! And still you would look for scientific explanations?"

Clint snorted in disbelief and shook his head, unimpressed with Loki's rant. Bruce and Tony looked uneasy, but said nothing.

Natasha's sharp eyes narrowed, focused on Loki. "You 'forfeited her life'?! What did you think you were playing at? Haven't you commited enough murders on Earth?"

The Avengers whirled on Loki as the rest of his words sank in for them. Every pair of eyes was accusatory. Clint actually nocked an arrow, despite his injured arm.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't 'forfeit' _your_ life right now!"

Thor raised Mjolnir and stepped between Loki and Clint, his eyes smouldering.

"I assure you, Barton, Loki _will_ suffer for what he has done, but at present, we all must work together. This threat is far graver than Thanos ever could have been, and I honestly do not know-"

"Wait, back up." Tony interrupted. "Thanos really is dead? And apparently this demon inside Wanda did it? I'd like to know how that's possible, if Loki says he killed her..."

"I _attempted_ to kill her, Man of Iron. Obviously I did not succeed."

"You made the worst mistake possible." Thor grabbed Loki by the throat. "You already knew that He could not take control while Maximoff was conscious and aware. To force her to surrender consciousness, in the place where He is strongest... how could you be so idiotic?!"

"This is how the Mighty Thor fights?"

Everybody looked up to see Wanda strolling casually towards them. But it wasn't Wanda. Her eyes were glowing white, a red light pulsing off her body. A wicked grin was on her face and her gaze flickered over all of them.

"Perhaps, my sister's little son, you will do better when joined by your mortal allies? This shall be most entertaining. The only question is should I pick you off one by one slowly, or should I rip your bodies apart as a message to the rest of the world?" Her - his? - gaze focused on Natasha. "The littlest one first, I say."

"What's the fun in just killing us?" Loki staggered towards the demon, ignoring his injuries. "Would it not be more entertaining to watch our feeble struggles?"

Chthon laughed. "Are you thinking that you can kill your little lover and yourself before I can, Loki Laufeyson?"

Loki winced at the name.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice that you pushed her off the roof up there? You attempt to rob me of my fun will cost you painfully."

"Oh, I thought I was going to 'Long for something sweet as pain'," Loki shot back.

"What are you doing?" hissed Sigyn.

Chthon narrowed his eyes. "Are you deliberately trying to increase my anger, little god?"

Loki grinned. With the blood pouring down his face he looked like a deranged madman. "Do you think that this has escaped Atum's notice?"

Chthon burst out laughing. The gathered heroes and Gods shivered at how like Wanda's laugh that sounded, when the person speaking clearly was not the young woman. Steve heard a strange sound, barely audible. Was it just the wind? He glanced around. Nothing was moving,there was no breeze...

There! It sounded almost as if someone was whispering into his ear. He had a sense of urgency, but couldn't make out any individual words. No-one else seemed to have noticed. Where was the whisper coming from...?

The Archdemon regained control of himself, finally preventing himself from laughing.

"I care not if this matter has caught Atum's _attention,_ little Prince. Perhaps you have forgotten how you and your lover were unable to leave Earth? No-one is leaving this realm...and _nothing_ will be entering it!"

The maniacally gleeful look faded from Loki's face. He exchanged a despairing look with Thor and Sigyn. Atum was the _only_ reason they had escaped Chthon, centuries ago. If he truly was prevented from reaching Midgard now...

Dread coiled in Thor's gut, but he did his utmost to hide it. He looked around at the faces of his friends and allies. In all of them he saw determination, and resolve. He could see fear, as all their beliefs crumbled around them, but he knew they would fight for this realm til their dying breaths. He could do no less.

Twirling Mjolnir in a arc, he summoned as much lightning as he could. With a cry of defiance, deliberately not acknowledging that this was the body of a friend, he sent it all directly at Chthon...

Who merely raised his hand, and redirected it at Loki, Sigyn and the Avengers.

"NO!" That much electricity could kill the mortals!

Chthon laughed as Thor stood alone, surrounded by the unmoving forms of his family and allies. He/she strolled casually over to Thor, waving aside any further lightning sent at him by the Asgardian.

Crimson energy surrounded Thor, and Chthon smiled gaily as Thor's face contorted with pain. The blond god was soon screaming out his pain, calling on his father, mother, half-brother, anyone, to stop this... _creature,_ while there was still time. No response came, save for a faint whispering Thor was sure was a hallucination, and utter despair overwhelmed him as he blacked out. Only then did Chthon release him, and he crumpled to the ground, as motionless as his 'family', and his mortal teammates.

The Elder God closed his eyes, revelling in his victory. This pathetic world's champions were done, and his Chaos would soon overwhelm the mortals who were attempting to halt it.

"Midgard is mine at last." He breathed, relishing the feeling of exultation.

"You do realise that you say that _every single time, _don't you?" The deep, commanding voice echoed in the sudden silence.

Chthon whirled, his eyes wild, his stolen heart beating rapidly. It could not be, he had made _certain_ that Atum was stranded, far away from Earth...

The gold-skinned sun god stood on the rooftop beside him, armed and furious, his stance making it clear that he had not come here to negotiate. Another Asgardian- young, fair haired, beardless, little more than a boy- stood some distance behind him, his cornflower-blue eyes locked on Thor and Loki's still forms.

Chthon returned his gaze to his longtime enemy. Crimson energy wreathed his hands as he faced off with Atum.

White-hot flame encased the sun-being's fists. No-one moved.

"Strange choice of appearance. Do you not usually possess males, and of greater age than this? Why steal this one's form?" He gestured at Wanda Maximoff's body. Atum's tone was totally uninterested, as if he didn't care about the answer.

The demon actually smirked. "This host has been prepared since she was born. All I do now is claim my own."

Atum shrugged. The fate of one mortal meant nothing to him. His priority was to drive Chthon from the Earth, by whatever means necessary.

Silence reigned for a moment. Thor groaned and shifted slightly without waking. The younger Asgardian and Atum glanced his way, for a split second-

Chthon struck at them. Atum deflected the scarlet energy (demolishing yet another part of Stark Tower, not that the Gods knew that), and his face grew even grimmer. He lunged, seizing the demon by the throat. Taking to the air, he dragged Chthon away from the rooftop and the injured 'heroes'. The Asgardian boy could deal with them- Atum had more important concerns. Chthon had forgotten his place in the universe once again. It was up to him to remind the demon of it, and make sure, this time, that he left Earth once and for all!

_**To be continued...**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

_Disclaimer: All belongs to Marvel._

_'Steve...Steve, you have to wake up!'_

Steve groaned inarticulately, struggling to open his eyes. What did Wanda want- he was in too much pain to move! What had happened? The last thing he remembered was... He sat bolt upright as his recent memory returned, wincing as his broken arm protested the movement. Wanda- or something that looked like her, had appeared, threatening them, Thor had attacked her/it, but the lightning had been sent at him and the other Avengers instead. Pushing aside his hallucination of hearing Wanda's voice- it was not possible- he looked around wildly. What had happened to his team?

Thor was sitting upright, looking weak but unhurt. Loki and Sigyn were still unconscious. A blond teenager dressed in Asgardian clothing that Steve didn't recognise was pouring water from a leather pouch between Loki's lips. The god was swallowing, at least, Steve noted, so it couldn't be too bad. Sigyn stirred as he watched, her eyes fluttering.

"Ugghhh..."

Steve's head whipped round as Bruce groaned. He staggered to his feet and made his way over to the scientist. Bruce's eyes opened, then quickly closed again.

"Being electrocuted is not fun. Remind me to thank Thor for a _wonderful_ experience, won't you?"

Steve managed a shaky laugh at Bruce's attempted humour. Taking another glance around, he noted with relief that Clint, Natasha and Tony were beginning to stir. Natasha's hair had taken on an interesting style, due to the electrical exposure, but they seemed to be uninjured.

A brilliant flash of light distracted the conscious inhabitants of the roof. They all glanced skywards, and their expressions ranged from petrified (Steve and Bruce) to awestruck, but unsuprised (the Asgardians.) The battle raging in the air resembled something they would expect to see in a movie. Assorted gasps and swearwords became audible as Clint, Tony and Natasha awoke and the gravity of what they were watching dawned on them. All eyes were now riveted on the fight.

Blasts of what appeared to be sunlight seared across the sky in rapid succession, seemingly being countered by concussive blasts of brilliant ruby-coloured energy. The incredible brilliance of the scene essentially blinded the spectators, making it impossible to see the two airborne combatants. Every time a blast went awry, missing its target, any building that was in the line of fire suffered extensive damage. The beings that fought were apparently not content to stay in one place, soaring in diferent directions every time one of them was struck.

Debris from half-demolished buildings showered down to the streets below, although somehow this did not deter the crowds of gawking pedestrians, despite the NYPD's best efforts to clear the streets. None of them had time to approach the Avengers- their main priority was keeping civillians out of harm's way. The roars and cries of pain from the battling entities were deafening. Natasha and Clint's cells were buzzing- Fury and Coulson no doubt wanted answers, but neither assassin could even hear the ringtones.

"What's happening up there?" Natasha squinted but couldn't see anything clearly. She looked at Clint, knowing his eyes were far keener than hers.

He answered her question before she even asked it.

"Can't make out much... Wanda, or whoever she is now, is losing ground to the other one...it's a 'he', as far as I can make out. It's too bright to be sure though. Fireworks displays would do less harm to your eyes than this!"

Tony struggled to his feet. "I'm going up there to-"

"NO!" The shout came from all four Asgardians, making all the mortals jump.

Tony frowned at them. "Uh, why not?"

"It is far too dangerous for anyone to become involved in their battle." The Asgardian boy stated seriously, his blue eyes intense. "Even my people fear those beings..."

"Who says you can tell us what to do?" Clint asked. "No offence, but I wasn't trained to take orders from kids."

"Who are you anyways?" Tony chimed in.

"I am Balder, third son of Odin and Frigga, Prince of Asgard."

If Balder had expected any recognition, he was disappointed. The Avengers' faces were utterly blank. His eager expression faltered, and he turned to his brothers, his voice tinged with reproach.

"Didn't either of you tell your new friends about me?"

"These mortals are not my friends." Loki muttered.

"No argument there." Clint input sourly.

"Much of my time with the mortals has been spent battling aliens and...evil." Thor explained. His brow furrowed. "How did you get here anyway, Balder? I thought all portals to Midgard were sealed..."

"More to the point," Loki interrupted, his voice sceptical, "Odin just _let_ his youngest son come to Midgard unnaccompanied?"

Balder looked sheepish. "Er, well, not exactly..."

"What do you mean, _not exactly?"_ Thor sounded suspicious now. "Balder, what have you done?"

"Uh, guys? Hate to break up the family reunion, but..." Bruce gestured upward.

The battle had ceased. The unknown figure who had been fighting now became clearer, because he was flying closer, gripping a seemingly-unconscious Wanda by the throat. He was big - even bigger than Thor. Whether it was the sun behind him or he was giving off his own light, the Avengers had to shield their eyes. Golden skin didn't exactly help him look normal either. His green eyes looked straight through all of them as the light faded, and he landed, dropping Wanda's still form unceremoniously to the pavement.

Steve and Bruce started to move towards her, trying not to feel intimidated by this silent, alien being. Thor and Loki held them back, their expressions wary.

"Atum..." Thor's voice was tentative. None of the others felt a burning urge to break the silence- there was something about this being's demeanour that just made them all shy away from him instinctively.

Brilliant white light engulfed Atum's form once again, making everyone watching wince as they covered their eyes. He extended a hand over her form, closing his eyes in concentration, then without warning _plunged his hand into her._ Showing absolutely no reaction to the assorted gasps and shouts of horror, he maintained his hold, and wrenched..._ something_ from inside her. Later, none of those watching could agree on what he held. A writhing shadow that fought his grip, and changed form every split second.

Thor saw Loki slaughtering the people of Asgard.

Loki saw a Jotun killing Frigga and Sigyn.

Balder saw his father and brothers dead before him.

Sigyn saw her eldest sister, long dead- the image her eyes perceived was Hnossa's corpse, rotting.*

Steve saw the Red Skull returned to life.

Tony saw Obidiah Stane, Justin Hammer, Ivan Vankov, Killian...all the people who hated him, loathed his existence.

Bruce saw the Hulk on a rampage, killing everyone Bruce knew, and somehow unable to revert to human form.

Clint saw Loki clutching the sceptre, offering him a gun, standing over Natasha and Coulson's bodies.

Natasha saw an all-too-familiar building in Russia. The Red Room, where, as a child, she had begun her 'training', with her 'teachers' assembled outside.

Another brilliant flash of light, and the thing was gone. None of them moved, lost in their own dark fears, until Atum spoke, addressing the Asgardians.

"How did Chthon manage to seize this form?" His voice was cold as ice. Balder obviously had no idea. Loki clenched his jaw, but remained silent. Thor and Sigyn exchanged looks, and a silent agreement was made. Thor spoke.

"As I am sure you know, Chthon marked this mortal for possession at birth. It seems he merely chose an opportune moment to take control of her form."

Atum regarded him silently. Thor prayed his half-brother would accept this version of events- he would _not_ condemn Loki to Atum's wrath!

He had reckoned without Clint.

"Don't leave out the best bit, Thor. The 'opportune moment' happened because _he_," the archer gestured at Loki, "tried to kill her!"

Thor clenched his teeth. "Damn you, Barton..."

Loki backed up, paling as Atum turned his gaze upon him. The sun-being took several slow steps towards him.

"So, once again, Chthon was loosed to wreak havoc because of your actions." The inflectionless voice was more terrifying than a shout, somehow. "I would have thought you learned your lesson last time,** whelp. Did you truly expect me to let you live a second time?" Flames encircled Atum's hand, his expression menacing.

Thor, Balder and Sigyn moved quickly to stand in front of Loki. Barely hesitating, Steve followed suit, as did Bruce. Loki might have made a mistake, but he did not deserve to be killed for it.

Atum stared at the mortals protecting the God as though he could not believe what he was seeing. He had expected foolish loyalty from those of Loki's family, but _mortals_? Attempting to stop _him_? He almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

The tense moment was broken by Wanda shifting slightly, beginning to wake up. Somehow, the injury Loki had given her prior to possession had miraculously healed. Her eyes opened, but she seemed disoriented- her movements, when she tried to sit up, were un-coordinated.

Atum looked at her as if she was mud. His face set in a determined expression. Grabbing her by the upper arm, he yanked her off her feet. His free hand drew his khopesh from its sheath.

She struggled against his grip, her eyes uncomprehending. '_Why are the last few days so blurred? What's going on?' _Her eyes fell on Steve, Clint and Thor, who had surged forward when the stranger drew his blade.

Thor spoke steadily, calmly. "There is no need to kill her, Atum. No-one has died, and she is not to blame for Chthon's possessing her."

Atum didn't respond to Thor, but shifted his eyes to Wanda. Narrowing his eyes, he sheathed his weapon, then grasped the girl's face, searching through recent memories... scrying to find the captive Asgardian woman... accompanying the Trickster to Wundagore... Loki stabbing her, making her lose consciousness, communicating with Chthon for a split second... her astral form finding its way here, trying to communicate, to warn her allies...

He let go without warning, and she dropped to the ground, gasping.

"No trace of the demon remains within her." He announced flatly.

Wanda gathered herself enough to glare at him. "Next time, just ask if you want to know something!"

He didn't answer that, either. Turning back to Thor, he simply stated: "I will remain on Earth for some time, to ensure nothing further happens. The mortals are yours to deal with, Odinson."

He strode away without a backward glance.

The silence was broken by Natasha's cell begining to buzz once again. She brushed off her shock, like she brushed off all her emotions, and took the call.

"Coulson? What? No, we're fine...oh. Wait...what?! That was fast... Alright, but you should know, _we_ didn't actually do... Barton and I will be back at base as soon as possible, sir." She hung up, looking stunned.

"What was that about?" Clint frowned.

"The chaotic events seem to have stopped abruptly, all over the world. It's as if the meter ran out or something..."

Thor nodded. "Once the demon itself was banished from Midgard, its influence would have ceased as well." He looked at Wanda, who was leaning on Steve, looking exhausted. "We should count our blessings that this was not far worse."

Wanda looked at the floor. "I suppose I should apologise. I don't know if I..._he_ hurt any of you. I can't remember much, but I am sorry." she sighed. "And that's not good enough, but it's all I can say. I suppose I'll be finding another place to live now..."

"No, you won't!" Tony said immediately. "I don't give up on my team members just because they sometimes obey the will of something else! Heck, if I did, Clint and Bruce would've been kicked out long before now." He winked, realising too late that no-one could see because he had his faceplate down. "Uh, well, that was pointless, but for the record, I winked."

That statement- so typical of Tony- caused a ripple of laughter to run through the group. Even Wanda managed a smile before speaking again.

"Now is anyone going to explain what happened? Who was that- the man who got Chthon out of me? And what else have I missed since leaving with Loki? Speaking of which..." She walked over to him...and punched him in the face.

Clint and Tony erupted into gales of laughter.

She glowered at Loki, massaging her hand. "That was for trying to kill me." She swayed on the spot, fatigued. "Any chance one of you can take me back to the tower? I really want to get some sleep..."

Bruce immediately switched into concerned-doctor mode.

"Of course.. I'll come with you. And I think it'd be best to do a few tests, just in case. We have no idea what damage might've been done during the 'possession'." He stumbled on the last word, still finding the concept hard to believe, but there was no denying what they had all seen. He and Wanda walked off slowly, him supporting her- she was practically sleep-walking! Steve trailed after them anxiously.

"Clint and I need to get back to base, to explain everything." Natasha frowned. "Of course, the gold-skinned anti-social god will be hard to explain, but it'll make an interesting report..." She smirked.

Clint shrugged. "Duty calls, I guess...we'll catch up with you guys later." He met Wanda's gaze for a second. "If you want to talk...I know it's tough, getting to grips with yourself after being enslaved by a more powerful being."

Wanda nodded, smiling slightly. Satisfied with this last shot at Loki, Clint spared him one last glare before striding off, walking quickly to catch up with Natasha.

Thor by now had a protective arm round Balder's shoulders. Sigyn and a sour-faced Loki stood some distance away.

"If it is alright with you, Anthony Stark, I would like to spend some time at the tower as well, to gather my thoughts, and to hear this one's tale," he elbowed Balder gently in the side before his expression darkened. "I also ask that you leave the matter of punishing Loki to my people, once we return home. I am aware that it is much to ask..."

Tony sighed. "I can think of more than a few people who'll want to punish him themselves, but...alright. He'd better _stay_ on Asgard this time though. Not sure we want to see him again."

"I cannot guarantee that, but I will endeavour to keep Loki from Midgard."

Tony had to be satisfied with that, and sighed as they made their way back to Avengers Tower. It was going to be tough to explain all these new developments to Pepper, that was for sure...

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Wanda had fallen asleep as soon as she was left alone in the lounge, so Bruce decided to postpone the medical check until she woke up. Steve volunteered to stay with her. Bruce raised an eyebrow at that.

"What? I just think it's better if she doesn't wake up alone, after everything. Someone should keep her company."

"Uh-huh. You know, Pepper could do that. Technically, so could Jarvis."

"Well, yeah, but I'm here and they're not."

Bruce smirked at him. "I'm starting to think you like our newest arrival..."

Steve blinked. "Of course I like her, she's been very friendly so far, though I admit I hardly know her."

"No, Steve. I meant 'like' her as in boy meets girl..."

Steve went bright red. "So just because I enjoy a woman's company, it's automatically assumed that I have feelings for her?"

"No, I'm just saying there'd be nothing wrong with it if you did."

"Well, I don't!" _'Do I...?'_

"Okay, okay. So," Bruce's eyes glinted wickedly. "Then it won't matter if I happen to mention this to Tony? Since it's not true?"

"Don't even think about it!"

Bruce only laughed at Steve's expression as he walked away, leaving Steve with a load of complicated thoughts spinning round in his head.

_'I don't have feelings for Wanda, surely? I've only just sorted things with Peggy...and I hardly know Wanda! Damn Bruce for making me think about this...'_

The Asgardians were enjoying their relaxation time on the roof, knowing that the bifrost could claim them at any moment, and not wanting to be indoors when that happened. Thor was currently staring intently at Balder.

"I would still like to know how you got to Earth. You must have arrived at a similar time to Atum, and I do not understand how you accomplished that. Surely he did not bring you along?"

"Well...not deliberately. I was speaking with Heimdall, asking how you and Loki fared. I was perplexed when he said he couldn't see you. I was about to ask why when a brilliant flash of light appeared next to us."

"Atum." Sigyn interrupted softly.

Balder nodded, his usually cheerful expression faltering. "I had heard the stories, obviously, but I never thought he would be so..."

"Intimidating." Loki input dryly.

"Yes... well, anyway, he wanted to know if Heimdall could still see Midgard. Apparently all the portals had stopped working, and he seemed displeased. He stormed off when it became obvious that Midgard was hidden even from Heimdall's sight. I may have...followed him. He caught me, obviously..."

_"Who are you?" Atum demanded, holding Balder by the scruff of the neck, shaking him._

_"T-Thor and Loki's brother." He knew he should have announced himself properly, as a royal Prince, but being in Atum's threatening presence made it hard for him to think straight._

_Atum released him, staring for a moment._

_"You may provide means for me to discover what transpires on Midgard, boy..."_

_The sun god closed his eyes, resting a hand on Balder's chest, and light was drawn from Balder to him. light in which images of Thor and Loki could be seen..._

_Atum threw out his other hand swiftly, and the light followed, shifting to form a portal._

_"How..." Balder's voice faltered_.

_"Your bond with them allowed me to open a portal at their current location." Without another word, Atum leapt through said portal._

_Balder took one quick look back at Heimdall, standing some distance away, and followed Atum. He had to help his brothers if he could..._

"...and then we landed on Midgard. the rest, you all know!" Balder finished with a grin. Thor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, praying for patience. Was this what fatherhood was like, he wondered- dealing with youngsters' erroneous belief that they were invincible?

Loki got up abruptly and walked away. Balder followed, looking confused.

"What's wrong, Loki?"

"What's wrong is you took a suicidal risk, jumping into an unknown situation with a being that would not have guaranteed your safety! What would Moth- Frigga have said if something happened to you?" Loki focused on that, ignoring the small voice that said _he_ wanted Balder to be safe as well.

Balder shrugged. "I did not really think of that. I will apologise later. I'm just happy you're safe, brother!" He smiled widely like the gullible, loving fool he was. He went to embrace Loki, but the dark-haired god stopped him.

"I am not your brother, Balder," he said, but with far less malice then he had used when saying the same words to Thor. "I never was."

Balder's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Loki's fondness for his little brother- his supposed little brother - had always been a weakness. "Did Odin or Thor not tell you of... what I really am?"

"You mean being a Jotun?" Balder pushed, and he looked utterly bewildered. "Loki, I don't quite see how that matters at all. You're my brother, now give me a hug!"

Loki slipped out of Balder's reach. While he may not quite have the stature of Thor and Odin, Balder was just as slow.

"Balder, Atum told me years ago that I was going to cause your death. You should stay away from me."  
Balder's brow furrowed again, and he contemplated Loki's words.

"Well," he said slowly, "the Elder Gods don't know everything. Maybe he was wrong."

"And if he wasn't?"

"Then I suppose..." Balder acted quicker than Loki. He kicked the slimmer god's feet out from underneath him, and then tackled him to the ground. Sitting there, he wrapped his arms around Loki's chest and squeezed.

"Then I suppose I should tell you that I forgive you, brother, just in case I don't get a chance when it happens."  
Loki couldn't help but smile. He patted Balder's arms awkwardly.

"Very well, you little fool."

Sigyn laughed at the brothers' playfulness. Thor shook his head with a grin.

"What are you two doing?"

"Just reassuring Loki that him being a Jotun isn't important!" Balder said cheerily, beaming.

Loki pushed Balder off, climbing to his feet and dusting himself off.

"It is not something I wish to discuss further." He said coldly, not meeting Thor's eyes.

Balder tilted his head to one side, eying Loki.

"Well, at least you are not pure Jotun! That counts for something, surely?"

Sigyn blinked, unsure what Balder meant. Thor noticed her confusion, and explained.

"Farbauti was half Vanir."

"Don't talk to me about Farbauti being half Vanir. Mother told me about her, and I want nothing to do with that giantess!" Loki replied hotly.

Atum frowned as he approached the rooftop, meaning to return to Asgard with these. The name had caught his attention. None of the Asgardians had looked his way yet. He joined the conversation regardless.

"Who are you speaking of?"

Thor's brow knit as he watched Loki stalk away as Atum approached.

"Farbauti. She was Loki's birth mother."

"She was the woman who birthed me and then abandoned me for death, she was _not_ my mother!" Loki shouted over his shoulder. He stumbled slightly and sat down, resting his head in his hands.  
Atum's eyes were locked on Thor so intently that the god of thunder found it hard to return his gaze.

"This woman," the sun god said, the tone of his voice cold and flat. "Does she still live?"

"I do not-"

"No."

Atum looked at Loki, who was still sitting some distance away, still with his head in his hands. Atum strode over to him, Thor close behind in case he had to defend his brother. He had grown more arrogant since he was a child. As if a half-Asgardian being could take on one of the Elder Gods by himself... he had been falling before Chthon with all his allies, how did Thor expect to fight the one who defeated Chthon?

"What happened to her?"

Loki looked up and then swayed to his feet.

"What does it matter to you?"

"Answer my question, whelp!"

Balder and Sigyn were standing some distance away, watching with anxiety. Atum and Loki stared challengingly at each other, eyes narrowed.

"Farbauti, as far as I know, was killed by Laufey shortly after Odin defeated him in the battle of Jotunheim." Loki said slowly.

"She was rumoured to have given information to Asgard's forces," Balder added, stepping forward to cautiously join his brothers and Atum. "But other rumours say that he killed her because it was revealed she had other lovers, besides him... And then some say that she tried to kill him, and instead..."

"You knew her*," Loki stated, his green eyes narrowed as he stared into Atum's eyes. "How?"

Atum's continence darkened noticeably, causing Balder to step back, reaching to pull Loki away. Thor stopped him and warned him with a look to remain silent. Loki continued to search the sun god's eyes.

Atum's green eyes.

Green just like his.

Loki felt as though the bottom of his stomach had dropped out. He inhaled sharply, stepping back. He felt as though the world was spinning. He stared back into the golden face, seeing suddenly familiarity in the sharp cheekbones, the slope in the forehead- It could not be true. Atum's expression didn't change, but without warning he reached out and grabbed Loki by the throat. Balder and Thor both shouted and rushed forward, but it was too late. The sun god and the god of mischief were enveloped in a bright white light and then they were gone.

_**To be continued...**_

**AN: * = Events covered in Myth Queen's story 'The Heart of Everything'**

**** = Events taking place in my story, Shadows and Regrets.**

**All three stories take place in the same continuity!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_**Disclaimer: Marvel owns: I don't.**_

**AN: Knowledge of Marvel's fictional race 'The Inhumans' will make later parts of this chapter easier to understand.**

Balder, Thor and Sigyn looked at each other helplessly. Where had Atum taken Loki, and why? Balder looked more panicked than the other two, most likely because he was the youngest. A shimmer of verdant green light heralded the arrival of another figure, who walked towards the Asgardians sedately. As the green-clad figure got closer, recognition dawned on Thor and Sigyn's faces.

Balder merely looked confused, glancing from his brother to his friend for an explanation. None was forthcoming. He looked at the stranger once more, noted her resemblance to Thor, and realised she was probably Jord, or Gaea, Thor's birth mother and Sigyn's grandmother through Freyja. Once he had reached that conclusion, he turned his eyes to the sky.

"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" He was desperate to track down Loki, and that would be easier to do from Asgard. Gaea stepped up beside them silently as the Bifrost descended. In a multi-hued flash, they were all gone.*

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Wanda opened her eyes groggily. The sun was streaming in through the lounge window, and she blinked several times, trying to remember where she was.

"Hey, you're awake!"

She sat bolt upright, startled. "Pietro?"

"No, it's me. You've been asleep for a while, it must've been a dream." Steve's voice was soothing, and Wanda exhaled heavily- it had taken her a few seconds to recognise his voice- she had dreamed of a place in the mountains somewhere, and for some reason, her subconscious mind connected the area to her brother.

"Steve. How long have I been asleep?"

"Uh, about six hours." Steve rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I kept an eye on you, thought you might want somewhere there when you woke up..."

Wanda had no idea why she was blushing. "You sat and waited for six hours for me to wake up? Didn't you have anything better to do?"

He smiled sheepishly, making a Herculean effort _not_ to think about Bruce's teasing comments from earlier. "Not really, I mean, Natasha and Clint are dealing with Shield, and Tony and Bruce are busy with... _something_ in the lab, as usual. Pepper's out at a board meeting, so I figured I'd keep you company. Better than sitting completely by myself."

Wanda frowned. "Aren't Thor and his friends better company? At least they'd be awake!"

"Oh, they took their 'Rainbow Bridge' thing home hours ago."

"Right...so if you don't mind me asking, what actually happened while I was...not myself? My last clear memories are of Loki stabbing me, passing out, then I'm waking up, and that gold-skinned man, or God, had hold of me. Everything else is hazy. I think I tried to speak to you, and Thor, during the fight, but I might have imagined that..."

Steve's eyes widened. "I thought I heard a voice whispering, but I was in pain, so I assumed I was hallucinating. That's...disconcerting, your 'spirit' trying to communicate or whatever you'd like to call it..."

Wanda nodded, shivering involuntarily. Steve tried to smile reassuringly. "At least you're alright now...aren't you?" At her nod, he continued, his expression growing solemn. "When Loki confessed to trying to kill you, I thought that was it. Even if we had managed to 'exorcise' you ourselves, I didn't expect you to be uninjured." He shook off the unpleasant thoughts, and managed another smile. "I'm rambling, aren't I? What I meant to say is I'm glad you're not hurt."

"I'm glad you weren't badly hurt either. Any of you." Wanda hung her head, unable to imagine how she would have lived with herself if one of the Avengers had been seriously hurt, or worse, at her hands...even if she was not in control of said hands at the time. Her eyes snapped back open, locking on Steve's suddenly.

"You said you _didn't _exorcise me?! Then how am I back, and...what if... _He_ takes control again?" Her heart began to pound, and she began breathing more rapidly. What if she was still a danger to everyone?

"Calm down," Steve urged, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I said _we_ didn't exorcise you. Atum, or whatever his name was-"

"The gold-skinned one?"

"Yeah. He... pulled the demon, or whatever it was, out of you somehow, not long before you woke up. Apparently, it's gone from you now."

Wanda sighed. "I hope that's true. I never want to go through anything like that again..."

Steve cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to change the subject. "Uh, how are you feeling now? I know Bruce wanted to run some tests, but I guess if you're feeling better, there's no reason to..."

She swung her legs off the couch, climbing to her feet. "It's probably better that I do get checked out. None of us know what might've been done to me while..." she shook her head, trailing off.

"Want me to walk you down to Med bay? I'll probably have to distract Tony so Bruce can get away from his latest project anyway."

Wanda smothered a giggle. "Alright, lead the way."

Bruce did indeed require 'rescuing' from Tony's incessant chatter, so Steve feigned interest in Tony's latest repulsor design (despite not having a clue what Tony was on about) while Bruce and Wanda escaped, and he gave her a quick checkup.

"Vitals are normal...no obvious injuries...you aren't in any pain, are you?"

"No."

"Good. I wouldn't be surprised if you had nightmares while you slept. Something like this might well give you some PTSD..."

Wanda blinked, not recognising the shortened name. Bruce saw her confusion, and clarified.

"Post Trauma Stress Disorder. Tony is still dealing with something similar, it's nothing to be worried about."

"Oh. Well, I haven't had any nightmares. Yet, at least. The only thing I dreamed about was a place I've never seen, which makes no sense..."

Bruce's eyebrows arched. "Where?"

She shrugged. "Some mountainous place, with fog everywhere. It wasn't Wundagore, before you ask, there was more than one mountain in the dream." She frowned. "I called for Pietro when I woke up..." That part, well, all of it really, was inexplicable.

Bruce's eyebrows rose further- Wanda could well have been describing _the exact place_ where Pietro had disappeared. He didn't get a chance to really think about the ramifications of that though, as Tony chose that very moment to burst in, grinning. Steve followed him, looking resigned. Bruce sighed. '_Tony in a good mood, Steve looking like he's humouring him...this never ends well.'_

"Jekyll, I'm afraid you're going to have to play doctor later. Wanda and Steve are attending 21st century 101," Tony announced, shaking a blue cardboard box vigorously.

Wanda squinted slightly at the white letters scrawled across the top. Trivial Pursuit. Bruce took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Tony, not waiting for him to answer, walked in, grabbed Wanda's wrist and promptly dragged her out of the room. Steve followed, grinning wryly at Bruce. The gamma scientist shook his head, trailing after them. Apparently, Tony was _never_ going to grow up.

"At least this is a form of team bonding." he muttered, already well aware that Tony would force him, and Clint and Natasha (if they returned in time) to join in.

**Three months later...**

"Remind me again why we're freezing ourselves to death?"

"There are still traces of alien technology in this area, energy that doesn't seem to resemble the type used by the Chitauri. And you already know that, Stark, so why are you asking? Also, you are _not_ 'freezing to death', I _know_ that armour keeps your temperature normal, so stop whining!"

"Well, excuse me, drill sergeant Romanoff, I just don't particularly enjoy coming to the Himalayas! Not after..." Tony glanced sideways at Wanda, who had accompanied them on this mission despite the reservations Steve and Bruce had, and he decided not to bring up Pietro's disappearance just then.

Natasha glanced at the newest Avenger as well. She sighed, then moved closer to Tony.

"If _she_ can cope with being here, I don't think it's too much to ask of you!"

Tony looked at the snow-covered ground, knowing that she had a point, but not wanting to admit it.

Steve glanced at Wanda worriedly, having heard their conversation.

"Are you sure you're ok with this? You didn't have to come..." He noticed that she already seemed distracted.

"No, I'm fine... it's just that... Bruce, do you remember the dreams I've been having, about Pietro?"

He nodded, and she continued. "I could swear this is the same place I've been seeing..."

Clint, who had been peering down the fog-filled chasm, frowned, looking back at her.

"You two were twins, weren't you? Maybe this is some kind of mental connection thing. It was pretty close to here, where he..." the archer didn't finish the sentence, as Wanda's eyes had filled with tears.

She had matured a lot since the 'Possession incident' as Tony called it, but grief for her twin still struck at times. Her powers had altered too, becoming easier for her to control, and only occasionally requiring the reddish glow. Now, simple hand gestures and concentration could gain a desired effect, and the crimson aura only appeared when she was attempting something incredibly taxing.

Not having to worry about losing control had made her confidence grow, and the trained Avenger bore little resemblance to the shy girl who had been afraid of her powers. She was a valuable member of the team now, and a close friend of almost everyone. Clint had taken her on a date once, but it hadn't worked out, (much to Steve and Natasha's secret relief). The two remained friends, however.

Tony had asked Jarvis to scan for areas where the energy was concentrated, in the hopes of finally figurung out what was up with this place. Shield's research had found that all the tribes of this area had legends of 'strange beings', and the higher-ups had started to wonder if the stories didn't have a basis in fact. Hence this mission.

"Sir, I believe I may have found something." Jarvis broke into Tony's thoughts.

"Well? What?"

The other Avengers came closer when he spoke.

"What is it?" Steve's voice was curious, but wary- he'd had enough of aliens!

"The energy surge seems to indicate a vehicle of some description approaching." Jarvis reported. "But it is not a type of vehicle that I recognise. And it is approaching swiftly."

The Avengers prepared themselves- raising a shield, nocking an arrow, unholstering guns, charging repulsors etc.

Clint peered down into the mist-covered valley- the only place a vehicle could come from and not already be visible. The sound of an engine could soon be heard, and a dim shape emerged. Clint was, naturally, the first one to discern anything clearly. His eyes widened.

"No, that's..." His eyes darted quickly to Wanda, but he didn't continue.

Tony and Bruce stared, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Are those...hovercrafts? They're tiny! No-one has invented anything like that!"

"No humans, anyway." Natasha's voice was grim.

The team stood ready as the three gliders came nearer, each bearing a single person...but what sort of _people?!_ A huge bare-chested man with goat-like limbs, a tiny man clad in a green tunic with an oversized forehead, and on the third glider...

Not one of them could believe their eyes. Wanda had gone white as a sheet.

Clad in a strange blue-and-white bodysuit, with a silver lightning bolt across the chest, dividing the colours, was Pietro Maximoff. And there was not a hint of recognition in his eyes. He stared at them all, his gaze as hostile as those of his Inhuman companions.

"What are you all staring at?!" The goat-limbed man snarled. The tunic-clad man laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Cousin Gorgon, our orders are to see to the humans' removal, not to question them. It is hardly the first time that we have been discovered, after all." He glanced quickly at Pietro, who was still glaring at all the Avengers, most of whom were too stunned to speak.

Natasha was the first to gather her wits.

"So you were sent here to get rid of us? That means there's something nearby that you- or someone else- doesn't want us to find. Why?"

Pietro spoke then. "We do not share our secrets with outsiders. You shouldn't be here. Leave." His voice was implacable.

Steve blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of this. "_We_? Why are you referring to yourself as one of them?" He looked at Wanda desperately. If her brother didn't even recognise _her_... what had happened?!

Pietro scowled at Steve. "They took me in after I was left for dead, and awoke with no memory. I am one of them now."

Wanda stumbled forward. Natasha gripped her arm, stopping her. She spoke steadily.

"And you don't remember anything else?"

"Pietro-" Wanda choked the word out. She couldn't process this. Her head was spinning. Her twin was alive, against all odds. And he did not even recognise her.

The word gained a violent reaction from Pietro and his companions. All three pairs of eyes locked on her. The goat-limbed one- Gorgon- strode forward threateningly. The smaller one held him back. Pietro stared at her untrustingly. That alone made her heart twist. The rest of the Avengers moved forward, surrounding Wanda protectively.

Gorgon spoke, slowly, as though he was struggling to stay calm.

"How, exactly, do you know the name of our cousin-by-marriage?" He demanded harshly. "Have you humans spied on us somehow?" His eyes narrowed.

"N-no." Wanda's voice quavered. "I-" She didn't know how to say it- what were the odds that they would even believe her?

"Enough." The smaller man spoke. "It matters not." He drew a small device from his belt, and pressed a number of buttons. Within seconds, all the Avengers were unconscious.

Gorgon smiled grudgingly. "Your sleep-inducer works as well as you said it would, Karnak."

Karnak raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect otherwise? Now let us be rid of these humans. We can look into how the young woman knew Pietro's name later, when they are all far from our home."

He lifted Natasha and Wanda over each shoulder, walking as though they weighed nothing. Gorgon hefted Steve, Tony and Clint, leaving Pietro to bring Bruce. He decided to use his own super-speed to bring the human to their jet, rather than wait for Gorgon and Karnak. The sooner the outsiders were gone, the sooner he could get back to Attilan, and Crystal- they had only just married, after all! He ignored the vague nagging feeling that he _should_ know the woman who knew his name- it was not important.

Once all the humans were inside their (primitive) jet, Karnak sent a remote command to the jet's controls, sending it back where it had come from- supposedly the human city 'New York.' They returned home to report the successful removal of the humans immediately afterwards, though Karnak did make a note of the girl knowing Pietro's name- that was troubling. Who knew what it might mean?

The Quinjet landed safely on Stark Tower's launch pad, and Pepper quickly came to make sure everyone was alright- it had become a routine for her, after missions, to reassure herself. When no-one emerged immediately, she climbed aboard to check on them. She gasped loudly- they were all asleep! Her cry of alrm had disturbed them, though, and one by one they opened their eyes.

"What happened?!" Pepper demanded.

"Pep?" Tony's voice was groggy. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'?" Her voice was shrill. "I live here!"

"Wait," Steve yawned. "Where are we?"

"Stark Tower." Pepper's voice was wary now- she'd seen weird things while working for Tony, but this...

"Huh?" Bruce rubbed his eyes. "Uh, we did actually leave, right? That wasn't a collective dream?"

"Yes, you did all leave. The Himalayas, wasn't it? What's going on?"

Tony stood up, stretching. "Jarvis, remind me what happened, will you? This makes no sense..."

"It appears that you were all put to sleep somehow, sir, and a remote command, from superior technology, sent the Quinjet back here."

Steve groaned. "They really don't like outsiders, do they?"

"Apparently not," Natasha mused. "And yet, they seem to have taken Pietro in..."

A choked sob came from Wanda. Pepper looked at all of them, confusion plain on her face.

"Will someone please explain?! Who is 'they', and why are you talking about Pietro? He disappeared months ago, and I thought..."

Tony got to his feet, sighing. "Come on, Pepper, I want a coffee. Keep me company, and I'll tell you all about it." He put his arm around her, and began to walk away.

"Tony! We need to deal with this!" Steve's yell fell on deaf ears.

"Later, Cap, ok? Pietro's fine, and obviously not going anywhere anytime soon!" He and Pepper disappeared into the kitchen, talking in low voices. Steve resisted the urge to throttle Tony.

The others were all awake, more or less, by this point. Wanda looked angry and determined.

"We have to go back!" She sounded frantic.

Steve put a hand on her arm. "We will, alright? But we need more information first, about what we're dealing with." He looked intently at Clint and Natasha. "Can you-"

"Already requesting Shield's advice." Natasha reassured.

Wanda took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll play this your way...for now." Her hands glowed faintly. "But I _am_ going to get my brother back. One way or another. I don't care what I have to do." She stared up at the sky. "Pietro never gave up on me. So I will not give up on him. I _will_ bring him home."

**The End (for now!)**

_**AN: I hope everyone's enjoyed this! There will be a sequel, eventually. Thanks to Myth Queen and WarriorMaidOfTheShadows, for all their encouragement and help, and thanks also to everyone else who reviewed.**_

_**The * in the first paragraph is a reference to the Gods' adventures, which are continued in my story Winter's Fire.**_


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